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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27107920">Luck Be a Fickle Thing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightlilly/pseuds/nightlilly'>nightlilly</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bird Qrow Branwen, Chapter Titles May Change, Clover Ebi Lives, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, M/M, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Hummingbird, Platonic Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose, Platonic Relationships, Post-Volume 7 (RWBY), Pre-Volume 8 (RWBY), Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Exile, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Slow Burn, Spoilers: Volume 7 (RWBY), Tags May Change</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:27:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>23,947</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27107920</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightlilly/pseuds/nightlilly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Qrow doesn't see the need to do anything about his unfortunate situation. His luck would only make it worse, but what happens when he's proven wrong?</p><p>A fic in between volumes 7 and 8 in which Salem doesn't attack Atlas, Clover is alive, Taiyang just wants to find his kids, Oscar is cluelss, and Qrow really, really needs a goddamn hug.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Past Qrow Branwen &amp; Summer Rose - Relationship, Qrow Branwen &amp; Summer Rose, Qrow Branwen &amp; Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>115</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Sunrise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don't know how long this will be, I don't know when this will update. Volume 8 is in like two weeks but I need to cope because I just caught up.</p><p>So hi RWBY fandom *waves* this is my first fic for RWBY and of course it's about a dumb bird man and his unrequited feelings. Because if you look at my other fics, my track record clearly states that I love writing fics about people who think they don't deserve love but find it anyway, Your Honour.</p><p>Might change the chapter titles as I go on, but other than that what you see is what you get.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cell had a crack in the wall just wide enough for him to squeeze through in his bird form. It was uncomfortable, but it would do. He'd memorized the guards' rounds by now, and he knew he had a few hours before they would come to check on him. Right now, he needed to keep his head down. Stirring up trouble, with his bad luck, would only cause problems. So for now, he would watch, circling around the city to see what information he could dig up and pray the kids had found a safe place to hide until some good luck came their way.</p><p>Yeah right. At least without him they wouldn't be doomed to fail.</p><p>His patrols over the city were always panic inducing. Ironwood knew of his power, and he knew that in the state James was currently in he'd probably have anything that even remotely looked similar to a bird shot down no questions asked. He wondered if his men bought into that, what it would look like to someone who didn't know about his ability. He took a slight comfort in that, knowing James would at least look like a crazy bastard gunning down pigeons.</p><p>Atlas was the most dangerous place to explore, especially on his own, but it was also where he would find the most information on what was going on about the situation at hand. It was also the only way he would be able to know if any of the kids had been caught. Probably not - they were resourceful. They'd make it out.</p><p>Robyn was in a cell similar to his, just down the hall, in fact. Occasionally he'd watch her from the window, though she didn't know it was him. They weren't exactly close, but Robyn had been on their side, and-</p><p>She'd been the one to console him. It hadn't been much, her comfort, but it had been better than sitting alone, numb to everything as he was tossed into his cell, tears running down his face until they'd all dried up. Sometimes he wished they'd been put together, at least then they would've had someone to talk to, but like this, alone, was for the best.</p><p>He always worked better alone.</p><p>Qrow told himself each time he went out it was for scouting only, that he would never escape the city by himself. Deep down, he knew it wasn't true. He could slip out of his cell through the crack in his wall, hidden by his measly little cot, and fly until he was out of the kingdom, away from Atlas, away from James, away from Cl-</p><p>He could have left whenever he wanted to. He never felt the urge to, not when things would only get worse. Here, in this cell, they were safe. He wasn't there to hurt them.</p><p>Hurt anyone <em>else.</em></p><p>The cold seemed to burn much more now, the harsh winds practically slicing at his wings. He shivered a little, mid-flight as he flew past a few balconies. If he remembered correctly, those were private medical rooms for the higher ranking officials.</p><p>Qrow didn't have to take these flights. His flimsy excuse at gathering information was just that, a flimsy excuse. Since learning the kids were still out there somewhere, there was nothing to do. No reports to make, no training sessions, no incoming danger for him to face alone in his cell, save for the nightmares and cruel thoughts that plagued him.</p><p>He made two whole laps around the school, from top to bottom, before his internal clock told him the guards would be circling soon, and he moved to return to his cell, trying not to cut himself on the jagged metal of  the broken wall.</p><p>Nothing in this place or outside of it brought him peace, and he couldn't truly rest even when asleep. His flights were a pseudo-freedom he allowed himself, even if he didn't deserve it, and no matter how many times he went out there, it wouldn't stop his pain.</p><p>Qrow sat on his bed, watched the guards go by, then slumped against the wall, shutting his eyes, visions immediately assaulting him.</p><p>
  <em>Blood dripped against snow. Green reflected pinks and yellows. The sun was coming up. His breath stopped. </em>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>This is your fault. </em> </b>
</p><p>His eyes snapped open with a sharp inhale, expecting to hear the telltale sign of glass shattering, but then he remembered where he was. Leave it to Atlas to be the ones to figure out how to block out his Semblance and not even make it a portable method. He would have killed for the effects to be permanent. Things still broke when he was outside, flying around. Bad things still happened in his presence.</p><p>He was still cursed.</p><p>Qrow shut his eyes for a moment, taking deep breaths like he's been taught, placing his right hand over his left breast. His Semblance wouldn't work within these walls, but he still felt the need to make an attempt to keep it under control, to calm himself down to keep from disaster striking. If his heart slowed down, then maybe his curse would also slow, be taken elsewhere, wouldn't haunt him any longer. The hand over his chest slipped underneath his jacket, to where the pin still sat, weeks later. He'd cleaned it using the napkins that came along with his meals, had taken ages to get the dried blood to finally come away, and he felt tears beginning to well up once more as he unclasped it from his vest.</p><p>The silver clover mocked him.</p><p>He pressed it to his lips as his tears fell.</p><hr/><p><strike></strike>The sliding window was always open. The cool breeze helped a lot in the stuffy hospital room. It hurt to move, hurt to breathe, so having some comfort was better than nothing at all. He wanted to know the extent of what had happened, but every seemed tight-lipped in order <em>to not disturb him, </em>which wasn't exactly a very good sign.</p><p>Luck had always been on his side, but he knew it was nothing short of a miracle that he was alive right now, especially after his aura had been broken during the fight. His Semblance had failed to save him. Atlas had succeed, and he was grateful.</p><p>So why was he so unhappy?</p><p>A bird flew past the open window. This far up north, there weren't that many animals besides the Grimm, if you could even call them that. Birds were of the few he'd seen, but definitely not up in Atlas. Down in Mantle, by the heaters, sure, but not up here. He absentmindedly wondered about what kind of bird it was when the door to his room opened.</p><p>"Captain!" Marrow looked extremly nervous as he bolted into the room, energy radiating off of him in waves, the rest of his team following behind him. "How're you feeling?"</p><p>
  <em>I'll kill you!</em>
</p><p>"Like I've been stabbed." Clover gave them a fake smile as he shook off the echo in his head, chuckled, then winced. Probably wasn't good for his ribs, or anything really. Harriet rolled her eyes while Elm let out a hearty laugh. If he weren't injured, she would've given him a rather hard slap on the back.</p><p>Winter had informed him that it had been weeks since his....injury. He'd been unconscious until a few days ago, and despite the amount of time that had lapsed, he still felt horrible. His body was stiff, his chest felt like he'd been barrelled over by a truck, and his head had felt it necessary to mock him for every single mistake he made during the series of events that had lead him to being in this hospital bed.</p><p>Well, not hospital bed. Private room where he was supposed to be resting but was just too stuffy with heat, too lonely.</p><p>His team was....not what he needed. They briefed him on the missions he'd been checked out for, bantered about them, but that was all that they'd offered other than Marrow's initial (and nothing more than courteous) asking of how he'd been. It was hollow. They'd probably been asked to do this, or expected to, as he was their captain. If he died, they wouldn't mourn him as a friend. He was replaceable to them.</p><p>They had only stayed for a total of ten minutes. Collectively. No bustling hoard of excited kids (and one extremely tired mentor) to come check on him this time. No one to pick rounds to watch him to make sure he was alright. He hadn't been in the infirmary for this long before, but he'd seen what those kids were like when one of them was injured. They had to be dragged kicking and screaming out of the room. Some of the walls still had scratches from where they had literally dragged Nora out once.</p><p>Of all the things to miss-</p><p>It's stung in his chest, even more so than the usual pain, which didn't even bother to fade when Winter had come back. He still had more questions for her, things that neither of them wanted on the record.</p><p>"What happened to Qrow? And Robyn?" They were with him when he was....<em>that, </em>and he almost guiltily added in the other's name as an afterthought, thinking about his mission partner.</p><p>His friend.</p><p>
  <strike>His-</strike>
</p><p>"Mr. Branwen is in our custody," Winter told him, and Clover must have been dreaming because she almost sounded regretful. From what he'd seen, and from what both of them had told him on separate occasions, he'd assumed Winter would've laughed the day she saw Qrow Brawen get what was coming to him. Apparently, he was wrong.</p><p>"The kids?"</p><p>"Teams RWBY and JNR, along with Penny Polendina, are unaccounted for. Oscar Pine was reported to have been spotted in Mantle, but the report was believed to be incorrect as he has not been seen otherwise."</p><p>Clover bit his lip, stopping himself from crying out with relief. "Callows?"</p><p>Winter sighed and her shoulders sagged. "Unaccounted for and took down several civilians while fleeing."</p><p>Clover went silent for a while. "May I speak freely?"</p><p>There wasn't even a hint of professionalism in her voice anymore. "I guess."</p><p>"I'm sorry about your sister." And he was. All the hate he felt towards himself, all the pain, Winter was going through it too, torn between her sister now being an outlaw and her duty to her kingdom. She just didn't show it as well and no one else would offer her the small comfort of letting her mourn.</p><p>Cold eyes snapped up to meet his. "There is nothing to be sorry about. She brought this upon herself."</p><p>She paused, and when she spoke again, she'd softened. "I'm sorry about....all of them."</p><p>"There's nothing to be sorry about," he parroted. <em>I brought this upon myself.</em></p><p>He could see Qrow in his mind, begging him to reconsider his choices, asking him to do the right thing, and Clover wondered how he ever could have refused the plea, told him that <em>his orders </em>were worth so much more to him then-</p><p>Then what?</p><p>What was the word that went there? Why did none of them fit? Why had he given it all up for nothing? He wasn't like them, wasn't a part of their group. At best he was a teammate, at worst a trespasser. He didn't have the right to say he was one of them, especially after what he'd said, what he'd done.</p><p>Qrow would never forgive him. Not in any lifetime, and Clover was sure he would have been fine with that. He deserved it.</p><p>He deserved all the misery in the world, and yet he was stuck with sheer, dumb luck.</p><hr/><p>They'd let him write a letter. One letter. He guessed that it was the equivalent to his one phone call, seeing as he couldn't call that far away. Taiyang deserved to know everything that had happened, that he'd ended up failing.</p><p>His best friend, self-claimed brother, was a patient man, and Qrow had spent the last of it way back when he had decided to give Ruby a direction to go in, him following close behind to keep an eye on her. Tai might as well have ripped up the letter without even reading it, and Qrow wouldn't have batted an eye. Months of silence, and now he was writing to tell him that he had fucked up and that there was no going back.</p><p>He'd sent the letter three days after he'd been taken in, after his nerves had calmed down enough to let him hold a pen properly. It should've arrived by now, if his counting the days was accurate, and his stomach churned at the thought of it, of Tai reading it and becoming angrier by the second. His daughters were gone, lost, being hunted by the very people they'd sworn to protect because James-</p><p>James would burn in hell for this. He'd promised that, all those weeks ago, kneeling in fresh white snow that was becoming redder by the second. He couldn't even bring himself to escape, knowing the consequences, knowing he'd only make things worse.</p><p>How horrible he was, that he couldn't even keep his promises. How wretched he was that he'd promised the man <strike>as he'd lain dying</strike> that he would-</p><p>Blood hadn't stained his hands in years. If it were up to him, it would stain him again. If it were up to him, Clover-</p><p>But it wasn't up to him, now was it? It was said that Fortune had her favourites, and Fortune had decided that he hadn't even been worthy of her favour.</p><p>
  <em>This is all your fault.</em>
</p><p>His weapon, his Semblance, his hands, blood, so much blood-</p><p>Qrow didn't want to think about it, but of course his mind betrayed him, replaying those horrors every time he closed his eyes, sometimes adding new ones as well. Occasionally he could no longer tell what was real and what wasn't, the haze of it all mingling together.</p><p>Only to stop when talons dug into his arms, cutting into his skin, warmth pouring down as he was brought back to reality.</p><p>Disgusting, painful reality.</p><p>He hated it all, he really did, and it would be so easy to-</p><p>No. Ruby would cry. Yang would hate him. He couldn't do that again, and yet here he sat, continuing to disappoint.</p><p>If Fortune favours the bold, then Misfortune must crave the miserable.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Lilies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Clover gets some visitors while recovering. Taiyang really needs a break.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Clover knew non-military personnel weren't allowed to visit him, so it must have been Winter's doing for the man that stood in his doorway. He looked exhausted, as if he hadn't slept in days, his clothes a little ragged and his hair a mess. He had a bag loosely tossed over one shoulder and was carrying a bouquet of lilies.</p><p>"Clover Ebi?" He asked, and he sighed with relief as Clover nodded, taking a step towards his bedside. "I'm Taiyang Xio Long. My brother sent me to see you."</p><p>He pulled up a chair and sat down, and he looked as if that was the first time he'd done so in a very long time.</p><p>"These are for you." He handed the flowers to Clover. "I know they're not appropriate for the situation but my brother was the one that told me to come see you and....well, can you think of a reason why Qrow seems to think you're dead?"</p><p>Clover tried not to tense at the mention of the other man, but found it rather difficult. "He thinks I'm dead?"</p><p>Taiyang nodded. "He wrote in his letter to visit your grave. Imagine my surprise when you're still kicking."</p><p>"That's...odd."</p><p>"You're telling me." Taiyang crossed his arms. "I'm trying to figure out why he'd be friends with you of all people."</p><p>For a moment, he wondered what this man knew about that night, if he'd been told what had happened, if he were going to dredge up every single horrible moment and make him live it all over again.</p><p>His chest ached.</p><p>"That's what's bothering you?" He asked, avoiding the elephant in the room that was his supposed death and the betrayal of the closest friend he'd probably ever had.</p><p>And that's what they had been, friends. Qrow probably wouldn't have admitted it, preferring to stay by his lonesome, to avoid people to and to try to feel like the world - his friends, his family - would have been better off without him.</p><p>Clover had drawn him out of that shell, had seen him smile, had watched him grow so comfortable with the way things had been.</p><p>And Clover had ripped it all away from him because he couldn't let it go.</p><p>Tai let out a snort. "No offence, Mr. Military Man but Qrow would sooner kick a cop's teeth in than call them <em>a</em> <em>good Huntsman </em>and <em>great friend.</em>"</p><p>"He would." Clover laughed at that, but it was solemn, holding his side as it was still sore. Just a few more days and he'd be cleared to leave, but he was still barred from missions until his health improved. "He said that about me?"</p><p>Qrow was mourning. Of course he would say something nice, something pleasant. He had little respect for the living, but Clover knew he had respect for those long gone, provided they were worth remembering.</p><p>Clover<strike> was</strike> had been his friend. Respect in death was justified, and so had been the murmurings he'd whispered to him as he'd faded into unconsciousness, that someone else would pay for this, that they were so unmistakably even.</p><p>Flowers on his grave and split tears in anger did not mean that Qrow still felt as he had back when they played cards in the back of transports, when they'd been paired together on missions, when they made stupid jokes about luck and skill. It was the bare minimum that he could have provided for someone that he considered an admirable fighter, for the memory of someone before he turned his back on him.</p><p>"Yeah. Kinda weird considering the letter started with <em>Dear Tai, sorry for not writing sooner, but I figured I should let you know that I'm in prison.</em>"</p><p>"That sounds like Qrow alright." Clover frowned, still wondering what was going on. Winter had told him what had happened as far as Qrow's arrest, but she hadn't mentioned anything beyond the bare minimum. "He...wasn't happy with me last time we spoke, rightfully so. I'm surprised he had anything good to say about me. But he should have been told if I was alive."</p><p>Had no one bothered to tell him and Robyn that he was still breathing? Were they just going to let Qrow also take the fall for his injury? Were they just going to let Tyrian get away with everything he'd done? Was this going to be their reasoning as to why they arrested Qrow in the first place? Did anyone else know he was alive? Were his parents mourning him because Ironwood wanted to keep up this farce, or was this just a way for them to punish Qrow by making him think his <strike>friend</strike> mission partner had died?</p><p>This...wasn't how it was supposed to go and Clover could once again feel the entire weight of all his bad decisions crushing down on his shoulders like he was Atlas holding up the sky.</p><p>"This has Qrow's shenanigans written all over it, but I have absolutely no idea what to make of it." Taiyang rubbed a hand against his face. "I would've said he wanted me in Atlas, but I don't know what for."</p><p>"You look tired."</p><p>He let out a bitter laugh at that. "My brother's in prison and my kids are gods know where. I haven't slept since I got the letter."</p><p>Something clicked into place. "You're Yang and Ruby's father? They're good kids and two of the best Huntresses I've ever seen....how'd you even get into Atlas anyway?"</p><p>"On the record, that's none of your business," he huffed. "But Qrow seems to trust you even if you are a cop so off the record I bribed a supply ship and that huffy white-haired lady caught me and said I have until the end of the day <em>to go back to Mantle. </em>Don't know why the fuck she thought I was <em>from</em> Mantle. I'm slightly offended. But anyways I'm in Atlas until this conversation ends and then I'll be on the next shuttle downwards. No dice on getting to see Qrow and I have still have no idea where to start looking for the kids."</p><p>Clover shrugged. "I wish I could help you, I really do, but I wouldn't know either."</p><p>Taiyang let out a deep sigh, then stood. "Then I guess I'll be leaving, then. Nice to meet you, I guess. Glad to see Qrow has friends. If you see me trying to break into the prison, no you didn't."</p><p>He snickered. "Fine, but if you do end up doing that, please tell Qrow that I'd like to apologize."</p><p>And he did. He wanted to make sure that Qrow knew he was sorry, that he wanted to make things right, that he should've trusted him fully and completely rather than worrying about <em>orders </em>of all things. He would make sure Qrow knew that he'd made the worst decision of his life, and they were both suffering because of it. He would come crawling on his hands and knees, beg if he had to, to make Qrow understand that he was <em>sorry, </em>that he was nothing but <em>sorry.</em></p><p>A simple message through Taiyang would have to do until then.</p><p>"Do I <em>look</em> like a messenger to you people?" He shook his head. "I'll tell him, but only because he's terrible when he gets pissy."</p><p>"Fair point." Clover had already decided that this man was a little weird, but it was Qrow's brand of weird and he seemed to fit into the older man's group of chaos nicely. "I hope you find your kids."</p><p>"I hope so too."</p><hr/><p>Mantle was, to put it lightly, depressing. Tai had wandered the entire surface of the city and there wasn't much going for it, surrounded by advertisements reminding people about curfew and the many, many androids and full-armoured soldiers patrolling the city. The wanted posters of Yang, Ruby, and the rest of their friends only made his stomach twist into uncomfortable knots.</p><p>Whatever hope he had coming to this city, it was dwindling very fast.</p><p>He'd lied to that military man, Clover. Qrow hadn't wanted him in Atlas. His letter wasn't asking for help, but rather just informing him of what had happened, and Tai had taken it upon himself to go search for his family before he ended up losing them forever.</p><p>Still strange, to think that Qrow would've become friends with that sort. Team STRQ had gotten into a lot of trouble during their school years, each of them having their own run ins with the law and Qrow had harboured a great disliking for the police and military, his history with the tribe and their policy of <em>do what you will as long as it doesn't hurt the tribe as a whole </em>the beginnings of a grudge.</p><p>Clover seemed decent about this whole ordeal, but he couldn't have done much hospital-bound. He still wondered what was it about the man that <em>Qrow </em>of all people had found it endearing. His brother wasn't much for making friends out of principle, both because he didn't like them and because of his Semblance, so Clover was a bit of an oddity from Tai's perspective. Qrow hadn't even wanted to be friends with him and Summer back when they were assigned teams and had only done so because the two of them had ganged up on the twins and had forced them to.</p><p>Clover didn't seem like that. He seemed like the kind to mind his own business when it came to personal things, but then again, Tai was only guessing based on the man's military career.</p><p>Qrow's letter had been vague (especially about Clover and his brush with death) and he should have expected that from a city with this much control over its citizens. It was a bitter place, and Tai could tell that many people were just trying to scrape by. Nothing he saw made him optimistic about his odds, not until he saw a glint of green out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>The colour itself wasn't anything to sneeze at, but the Long Memory's handle, clipped to the back of the young man's belt made him pause, and it left a bad taste in this mouth.</p><p>Qrow hadn't said anything about having found Ozpin.</p><p>The boy was young, younger than Ruby, and Tai had felt bad about tailing him, but this wasn't a conversation they could have out in the open.</p><p>The boy reacted quicker than he expected when he put a had on his shoulder, and Tai found himself moving to dodge a quick puch, the boy's fist just grazing his face, and he recognized the boy. He was one of the many on the wanted poster, his picture alongside his daughters and their teammates.</p><p>The boy slowed his roll pretty quickly, relaxing as he took a good look at him.</p><p>"I'm sorry," he said, lowering his hands. "I thought you were military."</p><p>"Oz?"</p><p>The boy looked a little startled. "Oscar. Ozpin is...around."</p><p>"How...how old are you, kid?"</p><p>"Fifteen."</p><p>"You got someplace to go?"</p><p>Tai didn't like to think that him finding Ozpin (Oscar, he's still a kid, he's still <em>him</em>) would have led him to an underground resistance headquarters, but that was exactly where he was, the Happy Huntresses staring at him a great amount as Oscar explained that he was a friend and he needed a place to stay.</p><p>"Their leader was taken in with Qrow," the kid explained mournfully. Without their leader, Robyn, that left the three Huntresses - May, Fiona, and Joanna - as well as him and Oscar. A small resistance that was barely holding on. "I...filled them in on everything about Salem. Robyn knew, and she would've wanted her inner circle to know. There's a lot more I should tell you, as well."</p><p>So Taiyang sat still and clenched his jaw as he became angrier with each passing second, listening to the story of Salem, Ozma, the gods of old, and the curse of immortality.</p><p>He let that anger fester, holding it in until tears began to flow. All of it in vain, all of it for nothing, losing <em>her </em>for nothing-</p><p>Tai punched a hole through the wall, his Semblance flaring wildly. He took a sharp breath, muttering empty apologies to the Huntresses, eyes turned on Oscar.</p><p>"Thanks for not punching me, at least."</p><p>Taiyang didn't understand the comment, but he just continuously nodded until he felt his anger subsiding. Now was not the time for that. He needed to focus - his kids were still out there somewhere. He needed to find them, they needed to get Qrow, they needed to get out of here.</p><p>What they did afterwards, he wasn't quite sure. A part of him wanted to leave the fight, like he had after Summer had vanished, to take his kids and pray that between his lessons and Qrow's that they would become better fighters than they ever were, that they would <em>live.</em></p><p>But he knew them well. Ruby would have rather died than give up, and Yang wasn't going anywhere without her sister.</p><p>He was tired, but he'd travelled halfway around the world, and he'd be damned if he just gave up now.</p><hr/><p>Clover didn't exactly have friends. It had taken him a while to realize that. He knew the separation between co-workers and friends, but it took him a long time to realize that he didn't have friends because of that. His co-workers, his team, were friendly. They all joked and laughed together, bickered and spent time together, but they weren't friends, and that was why he never realized that beyond that, he was alone.</p><p>He knew people outside of the military, but he couldn't exactly call them friends. They were people he just interacted with in his daily life. He might've known things about them, and they might've known a few things about him in passing, but there was nothing more.</p><p>James and Winter were his bosses. Neither of them invested in personal relationships.</p><p>He'd had a team, back when he was just an academy brat. He hadn't spoken to any of them since he'd graduated, as they'd all preferred rather than congratulating him for working so very, very hard - the progress of which they'd seen first hand - to cursing him and his good luck, that he was going on to better things because of it and he was taking their <em>winning chance</em> with him when he was invited to the Ace Ops.</p><p>
  <strike>They had never been his friends, he'd realized, when he'd cried himself to sleep that night at eighteen years old, adding more people to the long, long list of those that only saw him as a good luck charm.</strike>
</p><p>He'd liked to think that he and Qrow had been friends before everything had happened that night. He wanted to think that there had been more to the teasing and the long talks and the playful shoves, that this was different from his teammates, that Qrow was not just his mission partner.</p><p>And they were partners, obviously, and hadn't it been just so damn <em>lucky </em>that Clover and Qrow had been the only ones who didn't have proper partners, that they had a rule about not going out alone if you could help it?</p><p>Who's luck had made that possible, he wasn't sure. Clover would've said his, in the beginning. Good luck that he'd made a friend, good luck that Qrow felt comfortable opening up to people, good luck that they were not alone in this fight.</p><p>But how unlucky for all of that to just be ripped away in one, single night, and he was alone again.</p><p>It hadn't been a Semblance that had caused this, but rather all of his bad decisions. He'd wanted to trust Qrow, <em>had</em> trusted him, but he hadn't been strong enough to make that final push.</p><p>A bird flew past his window. He wondered if it was the same one as yesterday, or the day before that, or the day before that.</p><p>He missed Qrow. He missed being able to talk to someone who wasn't just <em>using him </em>for luck, for stability. Even with his cynicism, with his harsh words towards himself, Qrow had never spent time with him because of <em>luck. </em>That had been a choice he'd made.</p><p>A horrible one, if you asked Clover, his hand going to where his pin had once sat. He'd been told it had been lost in the rush to get him medical attention, and despite the fact that he'd worn it for the better part of his life, he didn't miss it. It felt appropriate, considering everything else that had happened to him that night, so why not lose something else? Why not lose the one thing that had brought him comfort, brought him closure?</p><p>"Why weren't Hill and Branwen told I survived?"</p><p>Winter only looked up at him, narrowing her eyes from overtop of the clipboard she was holding. "Why should you care?"</p><p>"They're being charged with it, aren't they?" He asked, ignoring her glare in favour of looking back towards the window. "With hurting me. I told you what happened. I know what it looked like, with Harbinger, but it wasn't-"</p><p>
  <em>"You don't think I know that?!"</em>
</p><p>Clover flinched at the sound of her. Not once had he'd heard Winter shout. Her anger came from her tone rather than volume, and to say that seeing her this worked up was surprising was an understatement.</p><p>She took a deep breath, shutting her eyes for a movement.</p><p>"Qrow Branwen is many things," she said, "but he is not a murderer. As much as I hate him, he is a good man, and after everything he's done for my sister, I don't want to slander his name. But I have my orders. The public wants an explanation as to why Altas would have this group arrested, especially after they've been seen publicly working with the Ace Ops."</p><p>"So we're feeding them lies so make sure James doesn't panic about losing their trust and rallying against a bunch of kids instead of focusing on capturing a serial killer?"</p><p><em>You mean like what you did when you started attacking Qrow? When you decided that he was the greater threat and that nothing was more important than your orders? Like he didn't </em> <b> <em>matter </em> </b> <em>to you?</em></p><p>"As of now, our story is that these fugitives are the reason that Callows was able to escape in the first place."</p><p>"So they're telling people that-" <em>Qrow </em>"-they attacked first? That we responded with arresting them because they started it when we both know that's not true?"</p><p>Clover wanted to shout, wanted to scream, but he kept his voice level. This was still his superior, this was still his place of work, this was still his job.</p><p>
  <strike>He didn't know why he was still hanging on to any of it.</strike>
</p><p>"What about your sister?"</p><p>"My sister is a fugitive now, Ebi." There was that tone again, the stern one, the one that put everyone beneath her on edge. "It is my job to make sure she is brought to justice."</p><p>Clover had never been one to stand down, even when she was like this.</p><p>"You have your orders, Captain." She said as she turned on her heel. "I suggest you do your duty and follow them, and I will follow mine."</p><p>"You know," he sighed, and she paused in the doorway. "Last time I followed my orders without question, I was stabbed in the back."</p><p>She left without another word.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>"He started the altercation, sir!"</p><p>"That's actually not true. She attacked first."</p><p>- Winter and Qrow in 3x3 "It's Brawl in the Family"</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Blood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>An attempt at a small victory, an attempt at making some ammends, and failing at communicating.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The Not-So Great Escape in which the crew actually gets out of prison but that's not the important part.</p><p>I posted the first chapter of this fic pre-Volume 8, so my idea of the Atlas prison is very much stereotypical prison cell (it kinda looks like that room we saw Watts in at the end of 7x13).</p><p>This fic, based on my drafts, is slowly turning into "road trip with feelings". I still don't know what I'm doing plotwise, but I will have the next chapter up within a day or two because it's mostly done. Prepare for more feelings!</p><p>Happy New Year everyone and thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They shoved her into Qrow's cell one day. He looked about as one would expect, holed up in here after something like that. Losing someone was never a good thing in the first place. Losing someone that close.....Robyn knew it wasn't going to heal for a very long time. The time they'd spent here, Qrow by himself, wouldn't do much by way of ending his misery. She hadn't been that close to Clover, the two of them butting heads until they'd briefly teamed up, but he'd seemed like a good man, and he'd been good to Qrow.</p><p>She knew that Fiona and the others would be able to continue on without her, to keep Mantle safe, but it was still frustrating, not doing anything about it. Being stuck up here while the people of the city below suffered, it wasn't right, would never be right. But what could she do?</p><p>Qrow didn't talk much, not to her at least. He'd mumble in his sleep, and he'd half-smile when she'd crack a joke to pass the time, but most of the time he stayed on "his side" of the cell. Quiet. Contemplating. Robyn knew he blamed this entire thing on his Semblance, was familiar what that type of guilt and shame did to a person.</p><p>She wouldn't exactly call Qrow a friend, but they were civil with each other, and as someone who wanted to bring people together, she liked to know who she was dealing with. So she knew Qrow was a very solitary person, but it didn't stop her from trying to cheer him up.</p><p>"It's not you fault," she said to him one day.</p><p>He sighed at her. Nothing too different there.</p><p>"It was, though. I made a deal with the darkness, and he paid the price. It was all happening so fast, but Clover wouldn't let up. Could have worked together against Tyrian if Clover just..."</p><p>His voice began to waver. "But the thing that <em>really</em> stings? For the first time in a while I thought, maybe, maybe I could be around somebody - <em>anybody</em> - without my Semblance making it...complicated. And now, it just feels like a childish dream. Gone...like everybody else."</p><p>"Believe it or not, I know a little of what that's like. When people are worried you're gonna sniff out their secrets, they tend to push you away. It makes a real connection...difficult."</p><p>"I never thought about it that way." Qrow sat up on his cot. "But at least your Semblance is useful. Can't do much good with bad luck."</p><p>"But you made it work." She mirrored his sitting position, both of them now facing each other. "You're a good Huntsman. I don't think I've met anyone else with enough resolve to handle a Semblance like yours. They would've all...given up."</p><p>He scoffed. "I nearly did. I almost got the kids killed because I didn't care enough. I fucked up, and then like an idiot I promised I'd do better. I've only just made things worse."</p><p>"Those kids count on you."</p><p>"And I've done nothing but fail them." He gaze dropped to the floor.</p><p>"We all make mistakes, Qrow. The amount of times I've nearly got myself or my teammates killed because I wouldn't let things go are too many too count. You can plan for any disaster, but sometimes things just go wrong. Sometimes feelings get in the way and everyone gets all riled up and everything goes wrong because nothing goes like it should have. What happened that night wasn't just bad luck."</p><p>Robyn let out a sigh. "That night...we both failed. I thought this would work. I thought maybe Ironwood would finally see us as equals, that Mantle would get the support we needed."</p><p><em>We both thought we could trust Clover, </em>went unsaid.</p><p>The door at the end of the hall slid open. Robyn craned her neck to see who it was. Qrow's hand went into his jacket.</p><p>Harriet was scowling before she even saw them, her eyes landing on Qrow.</p><p>"You don't get to keep that."</p><p>He raised his head to look her in the eyes. "I didn't kill him."</p><p>Robyn politely ignored the way his voice shook.</p><p>"You keep saying that, but it was your weapon covered in his blood."</p><p>"It was," Robyn bit back. If Qrow wouldn't stand up for himself, she would have to. "But it wasn't him. If you really wanna know what happened, mohawk, why not take my hand?"</p><p>She took a step forward but got no further, Fast Knuckles extending to cover Harriet’s arms, taking a fighting stance. "Back off."</p><p>"Typical." Robyn snickered. "Because <em>you</em> don't care about the truth. You just want someone to be mad at. Easier than taking an honest look at what side you're on."</p><p>"Shut your fucking mouth, you-"</p><p>"Hare?" Behind her, Marrow shifted uncomfortably. Robyn hadn't even noticed him. Kid didn't deserve to be put through this shit, fresh out of the academy. This was probably the first time he had to deal with losing a team member. "What're you doing?"</p><p>"<em>Nothing.</em>" Her weapon folded back in on itself, and she turned and left, Marrow shooting them both an apologetic look before following her, the door shutting behind them.</p><p>"Well, that was..." She sighed. "Almost exciting."</p><p>"Why do you bother?"</p><p>Qrow still had his hand in his jacket, and Robyn could see a small glint of metal.</p><p>"Because I know you didn't do it." She sat back down. "And I know that sometimes when you're here, alone, sometimes they get to you and make you think things that aren't true, aren't real. You're not a murderer, Qrow."</p><p>He let out a hollow laugh, and it nearly startled her. The sound was dry, rough, and the look in his eyes was something dark, something haunted.</p><p>"I might not have killed him," he said, pulling his hand from his jacket, Clover's pin in hand. "But do you really think that this is the first time my weapon's been covered with someone else's blood?"</p><p>She didn't know how to respond to that.</p><hr/><p>He didn't leave his cell anymore. He wouldn't leave without Robyn. She was a good person. She didn't deserve to be here, unlike him. To leave, even for a moment, would be like rubbing salt in open wounds.</p><hr/><p>Clover felt uneasy.</p><p>He hadn't exactly considered what had happened to Harbinger, or the rest of Qrow's belongings, as it hadn't been that much of a priority, but it made his stomach twist now thinking about it.</p><p>All those days he'd spent lying in that hospital bed, and just separated by a few levels of metal and concrete, was the weapon that had put him there in the first place, still covered in his blood.</p><p><em>Taken to the evidence locker, </em>Winter had told him when he asked, meaning it hadn't been touched in all that time. Catalogued and written up, labelled and handled according to procedure, but otherwise, it would have been shut away like everything else they'd confiscated over the years.</p><p>Of course, his superior had found his questioning of the weapon odd.</p><p>"Well, wouldn't you be a little uneasy about it?" He'd told her. "I mean, it's my blood."</p><p>And it did make him uneasy, knowing that no one had bothered to take care of it, not when he could still feel the echo of its blade being plunged into his back. Evidence, yeah right - they already decided they were guilty in his "murder."</p><p>Clover didn't quite mind. He never would've had to look at Harbinger ever again if he chose, but it was strange to think about, knowing that the weapon that nearly killed him was in the same building he lived in, worked in. No, he didn't exactly mind, even as he felt his throat close tighter as the elevator went down to the evidence locker. It was just...not something good to think about. His chest and back still hurt on occasion, despite the fact that the wounds had scarred over and the doctor had said it was merely phantom pains and there had been no underlying complications.</p><p>Stiff and sore with aches and pains but he'd be fine, as fine as one could be after making the worst mistake in their life.</p><p>Harbinger was Qrow's weapon. He wasn't wary of it. He understood that what happened....it was his fault. He'd fucked up. That was his error to live with, but it still didn't settle the dread he'd felt, similar to that night. The cold steel of the blade could still be felt, wracking his body with pain.</p><p>So he did not like considering the task before him, because the weapon was....simply a weapon. Perhaps he would've felt better about it if it were reunited with its owner, seeing it as an extension of the man rather than just being. Clover would've at least known that it would've been put to good use. Harbinger was a reliable weapon. Shame it hadn't been in reliable hands.</p><p>He fiddled with the straps of his bag. The elevator ride felt oddly long, much more so than usual.</p><p>No one had batted an eye when he said he'd wanted to look at the evidence from that night. They chalked it up to him being, well, <em>him, </em>always headfirst into the mission, always focused on work. No one had bothered to ask if it was a good idea. No one had bothered to ask if it was worth it. It was Clover - stickler for the rules, goodie-two-shoes Clover.</p><p>He wondered how Qrow had ever put up with him. How condescending he must have sounded, how stuck-up.</p><p>He gave a nod to the guard at front gate as he walked by, tried his best not to look like he was up to anything. Stealth had never really been a priority in their line of work, but military training helped him develop a good poker face, which he hoped was decent enough to make it look as if he weren't concerned.  Or nervous. Or like he were about to bolt.</p><p>The container with Qrow and Robyn's belongings was just like the others, tucked into one of the many, many locked drawers saved for such an occasion. As if they were common criminals, as if Qrow and his <strike>family</strike> teammates hadn't been protecting both Atlas and Mantle for months on end, as if Robyn hadn't always put everyone else before herself.</p><p>
  <strike>As if he hadn't betrayed them.</strike>
</p><p>Clover tried to not let guilt creep into his aching chest, not now, when he needed his resolve. He'd been left alone, of course. He was the leader of the Ace Ops, Ironwood's trusted little soldier boy. No need to give him supervision.</p><p>Robyn's crossbow went into his bag after a few minutes of fiddling to figure out how exactly the thing was meant to fold into something smaller. Qrow's rings and bracelet followed, going into one of the smaller pockets, double-checking to make sure none of them could accidentally fall out. Several other weapons, smaller ones, knives, were also laid out, and Clover didn't realize how armed Qrow had been. He'd never seen the man use anything but his scythe, and he wondered what these other weapons were for. Did they have uses, or was it paranoia, that one day he'd be left defenceless, without his trusted weapon?</p><p>It felt invasive, his search, but it was necessary.</p><p>And finally, he came across Harbinger, and he felt himself shiver.</p><p>The blade was still coated in a dried layer of blood - his blood, he once again reminded himself - and it smelt of rust, the scent so unnaturally thick it made him taste metal. It was caked on, so old by this point in time that it nearly looked brown. It looked rancid, and he felt his heart crawl into his throat.</p><p>A Huntsman's weapon was an extension of them, as the saying went. Atlas didn't really preach that sort of thing, but it was still considered an insult for someone to damage another's weapon or suggest they use one that was not their own. It wasn't just a point of pride. Weapons were tools, yes, but one's weapon was like an old friend. To see Harbinger so neglected, so unloved like this, to be carelessly packed away without a second thought, it made Clover ill.</p><p>
  <strike>He had no doubt the owner of the weapon felt the same as it looked.</strike>
</p><p>Qrow had once told him that he never let anyone else work on Harbinger. It made sense, seeing as how guarded the man had been. Clover knew he wouldn't have liked him handling it like this, but if he were going to have it back, he assumed Qrow would prefer it without the bloodstains.</p><p>
  <strike>Without the reminders.</strike>
</p><p>He set the weapon down on the counter, by the sink. There were some cleaning supplies in the cupboards, but they were for cleaning up spills and for workers to wash their hands after dealing with evidence that was a bit more unsanitary than usual. Definitely not for Huntsman weapons. He wasn't entirely sure what measures Qrow went through to keep Harbinger clean, and he didn't want to ruin it in any way by trying anything too over the top, so soap and water and a bit of elbow grease would have to do.</p><p>Clover sighed and shook his head as he looked over the blade once more. He couldn't understand letting something like this fester. He wasn't even sure if the blade was rusted underneath the old stains, and that made him feel even more sick. How would he return it to Qrow if it was thoroughly broken?</p><p>He unconsciously reached for his pin, dropping his hand back down when it found nothing, letting out a groan of disappointment.</p><p>
  <strike> <em>Was this how Qrow felt each time he reached for his flask?</em> </strike>
</p><p>He sighed once more as he went to work, trying to be gentle as he scrubbed at the old blood. The more he worked, the angrier he became - at himself, at his orders, at whoever's decision it was to leave this weapon in such a state of disrepair. Someone should've at least had the common sense to take care of it, and soon he wasn't thinking about his task anymore, but again wandering back to the last time he'd seen the weapon in all its glory.</p><p>Clover found himself remembering the smaller details of that fight now. Of course he could recount it clearly - the way the blade had sunk into him, the way he'd felt the cold, the adrenaline coursing through him despite his shattered aura - but now he remembered the unimportant things, the things that hadn't registered in the moment. He could now remember that snow had been seeping into his boots. He remembered his palms starting to become chapped. He remembered trying to watch his steps over the frozen lake in case the ice began to crack. He remembered the rush of wind, the feeling of being cold, then suddenly warm as his own blood had pooled around him, that feeling dulled by pain. He remembered Qrow holding his hand as he had slipped into unconsciousness.</p><p>He remembered that the sunrise had been so incredibly beautiful.</p><p>And it all seemed so trivial now, all those little things overshadowed by literally everything else he had experienced that night, but it was how he remembered it, and he kept these small things in his mind, hoping that maybe they would enlighten him. Enlighten him to what, he didn't quite know.</p><p>When he was finished, or at least as close to finished as he could get with what he had, he took a step back. It was cleaner than it had been when he started, but it wasn't perfect. A professional needed to look it over, perhaps give it a sharpen in addition to a proper cleaning. He didn't even want to touch any of the moving parts. There were a few small specks here and there, and to an untrained eye they were barely noticeable.</p><p>But he noticed.</p><p>Qrow would notice too.</p><p>Clover dispelled that thought as quickly as it came. No one's perfect. He was lucky - <em>terrible joke, poor taste</em> - that he'd managed to get it as good as it was.</p><p>His scar was beginning to feel tight again.</p><p>He tried to ignore the feeling in his chest and at his back as he put his supplies away, gently trying to make Harbinger fold in on itself. He'd seen Qrow do it many times before, it shouldn't have been that hard-</p><p>It took him a longer than it had working with the crossbow, but he finally managed to get the bladed sections to fold into each other like a strange nesting doll.</p><p>The weapon was carefully placed in his bag, the container that once held all of them placed back into its drawer. When everything was back into place, he turned to leave-</p><p>-and came face to face with Taiyang.</p><p>Neither of them spoke for what felt like a very long time.</p><p>"So." The blond rocked forward onto the tips of his toes and then back onto the balls of his feet. "Remember when I said you might see me around?"</p><p>Clover snickered. "Yeah, well, change of plan."</p><p>"Oh no, you promised you'd let this one slide-"</p><p>"I'm coming with you."</p><p>"-you can't go back on...." He paused. "Wait. What?"</p><p>"I'm coming with you." He gestured to his bag. "I already got Qrow and Robyn's stuff."</p><p>Taiyang gave him a look. "What were you doing with Harbinger?"</p><p>"Just cleaning it up a little bit."</p><p>He didn't say anything about his answer, but his distaste was clear. Clover chose not to read into it too much, but he knew what was left unsaid.</p><p>
  <em>Qrow wouldn't like that. </em>
</p><p>Well, it wasn't like he could make things any worse.</p><hr/><p>The sound of voices was what pulled Robyn out of her slumber. It was rare for visits in the first place. Twice in one day was suspicious. The door usually only opened for food, though even that was surprising. She would've thought Ironwood would have rather she starved to death. Would've made her less of a hassle.</p><p>"-don't know how to open the cell?!"</p><p>"I've never had to do this before!"</p><p>"Shut up! My Semblance doesn't cancel sound! Do you <em>want</em> to get caught?!"</p><p>Three voices. That last one was May's. The other two were male, one she couldn't recognize and the other-</p><p>The door slid open.</p><p>"Son of a bitch."</p><p>"Hi Robyn." Clover Ebi smiled at her, and she didn't know whether she should hug him or slap him. "How're you doing?"</p><p>She ended up doing neither, just staring at the man for a moment before shaking off what was left of her surprise.</p><p>"Qrow. Wake up. We're leaving."</p><p>The sleeping figure let out a small noise, turning over away from her. "That's nice."</p><p>"Branwen." She grabbed the pillow off of her cot, throwing it at him. He raised his head, staring at her bleakly.</p><p>"Come on birdbrain!" Clover's new friend brushed past him, grabbing onto her cellmate's shoulders, pushing him towards the door. "We only have a few minutes. You can take a nap on the ship- let's go!"</p><p>He was lightly pushed from behind, stumbling a little bit into Clover. Clover steadied him, and Qrow righted himself, taking a step back as he grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.</p><p>Robyn watched him raise his head, eye to eye with his old partner, watched his face contort into one of pure shock, and he pulled back, Clover still holding onto him.</p><p>"Uh, hi."</p><p>"Hey."</p><p>"<em>For the love of light</em> - escape prison now, flirt later! <em>Move it, move it, move it!</em>"</p><hr/><p>Qrow hadn't said anything since their rescue.</p><p>Every few moments he kept looking at Clover, just to make sure he was still there, that this wasn't some convoluted nightmare. But it wasn't, the man still there, still present, and Qrow was certain he was going to lose his mind if the man kept smiling at him like nothing was wrong.</p><p>So of course he hadn't said anything, playing with his rings and continuously going over his weapons, keeping track of each of them and recounting to distract himself from glancing over, sitting there with nothing else to do.</p><p>"I'm not a taxi, but I can at least get you out of here," May informed them as they took off from Mantle, leaving Robyn with her allies. The Happy Huntresses said that the kids had escaped when they had the chance, trying to get Penny - the new Winter Maiden - as far away from the vault as they could. They hadn't been happy to see them go, but it was better to cut them loose than risk Mantle being left high and dry. Robyn had reassured them that they could handle the disarray without them, sending May to cover them long enough they could get away from the warring cities to go after the rest of their group.</p><p><em>We do have an army of our own, </em>the blond had told him before wishing them well, and Qrow was sad to see her off. They weren't exactly close, but he could have considered Robyn a friend.</p><p>
  <strike>Until Tai had to ruin it by whistling and making a very inappropriate comment, <em>come on Tai read the room.</em></strike>
</p><p>"I can drop you guys off in Argus," she continued. "That way you guys can stock up before heading out."</p><p>Clover opened his mouth to speak, but Qrow beat him to it.</p><p>"Argus isn't good. Atlas communications still reach the Argus base. They'll know we're wanted. Our best chance is to rough it to the next town over."</p><p>Clover mutely nodded in agreement, shooting him a concerned look. Qrow tried to ignore it.</p><p>"So what do you suggest?" Oscar asked, clearing his throat, and honestly, Qrow had forgotten the boy was there, but could you blame him? Processing both Clover <strike>here, alive, not dead, not his fault</strike> and Tai at the same time was like if Nora had given him the full force of Magnhild to the head.</p><p>"We can't take the train without risking someone recognizing us. Nearest town that's not Argus is 60 klicks south - about a day's walk. We'll have to rough it through the forest and hope it doesn't snow too bad. The good news is that it's spring, so chances are the worst we'll get is a cold rain."</p><p>"Any objections?" Tai asked, pointedly looking at Clover, who shrugged.</p><p>"He's right. Argus might be a part of Anima but it's a port town and has access to Atlas' feed and military broadcasts, and with the border closure, they've been watching it like hawks."</p><p>"Well, you and Tai could walk around unnoticed. The two of you can get supplies before we make the trek."</p><p>"That's all well and good," May interrupted from the pilot's chair, "and I'd hate to break this up but I need to know <em>where I'm going.</em>"</p><p>"Near Argus' southern gate."</p><p>"Now that wasn't hard, now was it?"</p><hr/><p>"So the no-sleeves thing is a fashion choice?"</p><p>"Tai, I swear to darkness-"</p><p>"I'm not talking to you Qrow!"</p><p>Clover had to chuckle to himself despite everything. Qrow wasn't speaking to him. Well, the man spoke <em>at</em> him, more so addressing everyone when Clover tried to ask him something and it was painfully obvious - to him, Oscar, and Tai - that he did not want to speak to him, so Clover had stopped trying.</p><p>He understood why Qrow wouldn't want to talk to him, but it still hurt.</p><p>So now Tai was needling him because Qrow was upset and that was making Oscar not want to get involved, so Tai had turned to him, most likely playing nice to press for details on what he did to Qrow to make him this angry.</p><p>Then again, asking him about his choice in clothing did not seem like digging for dirt.</p><p>Qrow had tried to silence his brother many times during their journey, but it seemed like it was less of an anger thing and more of a Tai-asks-very-pointless-questions thing.</p><p>Not that Clover minded.</p><p>Since his military uniform would've had him sticking out like a sore thumb, he'd abandoned it for some more casual clothes, and ended up with various shirts and sweaters - and yes, some of them were sleeveless.</p><p>"It gets stuffy on the clock, especially when you're down by the heaters."</p><p>"Feeling hot is an extreme symptom of hypothermia," Oscar piped up from the back of their group. "Your brain tricks you into thinking you're overheating and many people actually end up stripping because of that, causing them to freeze and die."</p><p>"That's peachy," Tai grumbled.</p><p>"It's standard in Atlas schools. It's one of the first things you learn in case you somehow end up in the tundra. At least, if the Grimm don't get you first."</p><p>Talk was pretty much like that the whole way down to the small town of Rhea, and Clover found himself talking to the innkeepers, who apparently only spoke Atlesian and a few broken bits of Common, standing next to Qrow.</p><p><em>"We have four people," </em>Clover explained to them after a few minutes of Tai trying to flag them down and the initial mixup of being lost in translation. <em>"And we need housing just for tonight."</em></p><p><em>"We got one room," </em>the older one told him, the words spat at him as if Clover had cursed them out.</p><p>
  <em>"You can't do anything better?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Not when that Mistraili cunt's glaring at me like that. You always travel with vermin, boy?"</em>
</p><p><em>"This </em><b><em>Mistraili cunt</em></b><em> can hear you," </em>Qrow scowled, and the old man's face paled.</p><p><em>"I- I, uh, think we might have another room available." </em>He stepped back, his eyes on Qrow as he swallowed uneasily, hurrying away. <em>"I'll go check."</em></p><p>"I didn't know you spoke Atlesian."</p><p>Qrow let out a hum. "I know all languages."</p><p>He went quiet again, not looking at Clover as the innkeeper came back.</p><p>
  <em>"You're in luck. We have two rooms available."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"How many beds?"</em>
</p><p><em>"One per room. You should fit two people fine." </em>The man snorted. <em>"This isn't some fancy hotel, but each room has a shower and there's a washing machine you can use if you're willing to pay for it."</em></p><p>
  <em>"That's fine."</em>
</p><p>"So we're drawing straws?" Tai asked once they'd relayed the information to the other half of their group. Did they count as a team now? They <em>were</em> a group of four.</p><p>"I'll go last," Clover volunteered.</p><p>"You sure? You might get partnered with Qrow and he's like a koala when he's asleep."</p><p>"Am not."</p><p>"You guys pick first. I'll take the leftovers." Being paired off with Qrow might give him a minute to be able to talk in private, but he didn't know how cooperative the man would be, so while he knew what his preference of room partner was, it was best to leave it up to fate and not press his luck.</p><p>He took the straw from Tai and held it up.</p><p>"Looks like I'm with you Oscar. Hope you don't mind."</p><p>"I don't." He gave the blond an awkward smile.</p><p>Clover stared at the straw he was holding, the one matching Qrow's.</p><p>
  <em>Was this your luck, or mine?</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I absolutely loved Qrow's speech to Robyn and I love their friendship dynamic but I'm gonna have to do Robyn dirty in that this fic is gonna be mostly focused on my little group of Fair Game, Tai, and Oscar.</p><p>If you'll notice, I have a few personal headcanons sprinkled throughout this chapter:<br/>- Qrow (pre-Beacon) has definitely killed people due to the tribe's policies on outsiders and how they view the weak . He regrets it but if he has to do it again, he wouldn't hesitate.<br/>- Qrow is a "be prepared" type of person because of Misfortune so of course he has several knives on him in case of emergency, as well as other important bits and bobs.<br/>- I like the idea that each kingdom has their own language, as well as one unifed language. Qrow, being a traveller because of spywork, knows all of them (I also headcanon the Branwen tribe has their own language).</p><p>I'm also relying heavily on the "weapons are an extension of a person" thing back from Volume 1. It's slightly literal in this fic, but not so much so that it would be a major plotpoint. It's mostly just to flesh out relations between characters, such as how Clover treats Harbinger (and I'll touch upon Oscar and Long Memory in a later chapter).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Blame</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The boys start to talk things out. Clover thinks about how he sees Qrow compared to how Qrow sees himself.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alright. So. Before you yell at me in the comments about who's right in the situation, please read the entire chapter, because Qrow's initial outburst sounds very condescending without the full conversation.</p><p>I understand that while this fic is tagged as slow burn, this chapter might make it seem like things are all good, but this is just the beginning. They're still gonna be awkward dumbasses.</p><p>We'll get to Tai and Oscar in other chapters, I promise.</p><p>Happy New Year everyone!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The shower was both a great relief and the most exhausting thing he'd ever had to do. He'd spent an incredibly long time just standing under the water, letting his skin turn red from the heat before he even began to wash up proper, scrubbing ages of sweat and dirt and grime from his body. He didn't know how long he'd been in there, but at one point Clover had knocked on the door and had asked if he could take his dirty clothes and start a load of laundry. </p><p>He'd only grunted a reply, too tired to care. </p><p>Why was....why was he being so nice, after everything that had happened? Clover wasn't angry at him, and somehow that made everything even worse. It made his insides burn, twisting into uncomfortable knots. He'd snap eventually, get angry eventually. </p><p>
  <strike> Leave again, because Qrow wasn't worth it. </strike>
</p><p>Clover was just playing nice for now. That was all it was, and it hurt. Why keep up with this charade? Why toy with his feelings like this? Why keep trying when it was obvious he didn't care?</p><p>Qrow tried not to linger on it, but he couldn't help it. His feelings were a tangled mess, and he wasn't sure which thread to pull on to start unravelling it without just having them all snap. </p><p>Despite the heat of the water, he felt cold. </p><p>His head hurt and the rest of his body ached, and he wondered, as he got dressed for bed, if it would be better or worse sleeping here or back in the cell. </p><p>He decided on worse as he walked out of the bathroom, remembering he now had to share his space with Clover, walking right past him and to his things. Tai had gone a little overboard with the supplies, but it was better being over-prepared than underprepared. He went through everything, not for any particular reason, checking over his stash of food and water as he tried his hardest not to look directly at his weapon. </p><p>
  <strike> It still had blood on it. Mere spots, sure, but it was still Clover's blood. </strike>
</p><p>They hadn't finalized anything about their destination, but they all agreed it would be better to talk about it once they all got a proper rest. </p><p>Qrow pretended everything was fine for as long as he could, convincing himself that his backpack was the most interesting thing in the world, but he was tired, and he knew he couldn't stay up forever. </p><p>So he claimed his side of the bed and did what he did when Yang or Ruby had nightmares when they were younger and decided that the best way to get their hyper little selves to sleep was with their tiny feet jammed into his back - he turned on his side looking away from where Clover would be sleeping, shuffled himself as close to the edge of the bed as much as he could allow, and made himself as small as possible. </p><p>He shut his eyes and tried to imagine that he was on a routine mission, that he'd flown from Atlas and was resting for the night alone. </p><p>Clover somehow didn't get the memo. </p><p>"Your friend seems....very enthusiastic."</p><p>"I told you that night," he responded gruffly. "I don't have friends."</p><p>"Of course you do."</p><p>Qrow didn't want to do this. He didn't want to start this fight, but better to stop this farce before it got any worse.</p><p>"Tell me then!" He propped himself up, turning to face Clover. "Tell me where they are! Raven tried to kill me, Summer disappeared, Lionheart sold us out to Salem, Ozpin lied to me, and Ironwood had me imprisoned. Who does that leave? Oscar's just a kid. Tai will get fed up with me eventually. You....you already made it clear what's <em>important </em> to you."</p><p>"Qrow-"</p><p>"Don't. Don't try to tell me that you care now. You told me we didn't have to fight that night, so <em>why </em>did you? Why did you-"</p><p>He stopped, and it took Clover a moment to realize that he was crying. </p><p>"I thought I could trust you. You didn't hate me because of my Semblance. You were nice to me. We worked well together. I thought that...I thought we could be friends. I thought this would prove me wrong, that I wasn't fucking cursed. I just wanted things to work out for once. So thanks, I guess, for proving me right, <em>again </em>."</p><p>"Qrow-"</p><p>"I said, <em>don't </em>."</p><p>"I wanted to talk about this, okay? And you're not letting me talk-"</p><p>"What the <em>fuck </em>is there to talk about? Sorry doesn't fucking <em>undo </em>everything. I thought you were dead. Robyn and I <em>mourned </em>you. Stop pretending like you actually care about me."</p><p>"But I'm still here. I don't get what you want from me. You're happy that I'm here but then you don't want to talk to me. Don't you want things to go back to the way they were, patch things up? I....I know I've lost your trust and if I could go back to that night, I would have done things differently, but I can't. We can't undo what's happened, like you said. So why don't we fix things now?"</p><p>Qrow opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it just as quick, shaking his head as more tears poured out.</p><p>"Qrow. I know you don't want to hear it, but I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, and if I could take it all back, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'm not going to stop until you give me a real reason why. Why shouldn't we do this?"</p><p>"I- I-" He was choking on his words, his face turning red as he continued to cry, his whole body shivering. "I don't know if I can trust you. I want to. I want to, but I can't."</p><p>Clover rested a palm against his cheek, wiping away some of Qrow's tears. "After what I did, I wouldn't trust me either."</p><p>"So why do you keep asking me to?"</p><p>"Because I want this to work," he sighed. "I want to be your friend. I want to be on your side. I want to make up for everything I've done and the literal hell I put you through."</p><p>He didn't respond to that, letting out sobs now, shutting his eyes in a vain attempt to make himself stop crying.</p><p>"Please, Qrow. I...I don't want this to be the end of things. Just....one more chance. That's all I'm asking. <em>Please</em>. Qrow, I...I wish I could tell you something that would make sense, but I can't. You were right. I'm only good at following orders. I never questioned anything I was told. I wanted to be perfect so badly that I just followed along. I wanted to matter, and I thought that....I've never disobeyed. Never spoken out of turn, but you? I started to see things your way and I wanted this to work. I wanted to be your friend. I wasn't lying when I said I liked working with you, liked being your friend, but I...I wasn't strong enough to make that final push. I chose to abandon you because I was too weak to do anything else besides what I was told. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry and I'll keep saying I'm sorry until you believe me and there's no chance of it being not true."</p><p>Qrow didn't answer him for a while, and when he did, it was so quiet he almost missed it, whispered on the softest breath.</p><p>"One more chance."</p><p>Clover exhaled as he relaxed, relief flooding him. "Thank you."</p><p>Qrow pulled away, turning himself over so that he was facing away again. That was fine. He'd let the older man have his space. They'd work things out eventually. All it would take was time.</p><p>He wanted to tell Qrow what he'd felt that night, his indecision and his uncertainty, torn between what he was supposed to do and what he'd wanted to do. He wanted to tell Qrow about the crushing guilt he'd felt, lying in that hospital bed. He wanted to tell Qrow about how he'd dreamt that everything had all worked out if he'd just trusted him in the first place. </p><p>"You might want to go wash your face so you don't feel uncomfortable," was what came out instead. Qrow only gave a mumble in reply, then sat up slowly. Clover watched him walk over to the bathroom, hearing the water turn on.</p><p>Things would work out. They had to. Clover didn't know what to do otherwise.</p><hr/><p>Clover had heard the name Qrow Branwen well before he'd met the man. Rumours often travelled, that's how stories were made, and there had been plenty about him that had made their way around.</p><p>The first time he'd heard the name had been from James, as he and Winter had once been halfway through a discussion when Clover had been summoned to his office for a briefing. </p><p>"Qrow's still dark and Ozpin hasn't said anything," James had said, and Winter had snickered.</p><p>"Knowing Branwen," she huffed in disagreement. "He's most likely blacked out in a brothel somewhere, the pig."</p><p>James, having not yet noticed him, had sighed. "He's not like that. He's a fine Huntsman, just....a bit nearsighted."</p><p>The conversation had ended there with his arrival, but Clover had wondered who this Qrow was, having somehow caught the general's eye and it seemed that he hadn't been anyone within their forces. </p><p>He'd heard the name again from a few travellers. A lot of Huntsmen and Huntresses found solace in Atlas during their travels, whether because they also worked as traders and merchants or were looking for Grimm to fight or just passing through for whatever reason. Huntsmen told stories, and they especially liked stories about their own kind, those of grandeur and bravery. </p><p>He'd heard the name Qrow Branwen again while he was off-duty, in a local meetup spot where an older woman had asked if she could sit at his table, the chairs filling up and her team having turned in for the night. He'd happily obliged, and they'd fallen into talking about work, and she had told him something strange.</p><p>"We met this guy in the woods outside of Vale, not too far from Beacon but far enough," she had said. "Thought he got separated from his team or something. Offered to help him get back and he said he didn't have a team, if you can believe it."</p><p>The rule of Huntsmen was that teams were made up of four. No more, no less. The Ace Ops had been an exception, as James believed Clover helped tie them together, but every other team he'd come across had been four. Schools admitted students in multiples of four for this exact purpose, to ensure teams were even. If four couldn't do, you would at least have a partner and go out in pairs. Going alone, unless it was a small job you knew you could handle, was basically suicide. Clover had heard stories of Huntsmen going off on their own, trying to be legendary heroes (the Grimm Reaper came to mind), but he only heard of them a few times before they succumbed to their pride and died off in the field. </p><p>Clover had snickered at the story, because they had all ended the same, but out of curiosity, he'd asked the Huntress for the man's name. </p><p>"Qrow Branwen, if I remember correctly."</p><p>And it didn't stop there. People kept talking about him, about the things they'd seen, this faceless man who must've been a ghost, who couldn't have possibly been real.</p><p>"I met a man who wielded a scythe."</p><p>"I met a man that took down a pack of Nevermore and I hadn't even seen him move."</p><p>"I met a man that bested four Huntsmen in a fight while completely drunk."</p><p>And when he asked it was always the same.</p><p>"I think his name was Branwen."</p><p>"Qrow Branwen."</p><p>"I think it was Raven, or something similar. Maybe Qrow?"</p><p>"Branwen, definitely."</p><p>Clover wasn't exactly a man that believed in rumours without having seen the facts behind them but there were just so many that they couldn't be ignored. </p><p>So he'd asked James, having first heard about this man from him, shortly after the man had returned from Beacon.</p><p>"Have you heard of someone named Qrow Branwen?"</p><p>James had stalled for a moment, looking at him. "Any particular reason you're asking?"</p><p>"I've heard a lot of things about him recently," he'd explained, and that had been true, but Clover still felt strange in asking. "And I remembered that I've heard you mention him once in passing. I was wondering how much I've heard is rumours."</p><p>"Qrow is one of the best Huntsmen I've ever met, and I'm glad to call him a close friend of mine," he'd said, and Clover was shocked to hear it. Praise from Ironwood himself was as rare as gravity dust, and to hear it said without hesitation was remarkable in itself.</p><p>"Branwen is a drunken fool," Winter had said when he'd asked her, scowling. "He is loud, brash, and overall a horrible person, but General Ironwood sees him as a necessary ally, so I am forced to put up with him."</p><p>"You didn't hear it from me." One of her guards had found him later, nervously glancing back and forth as he whispered. "But I was at Beacon with her. I watched Branwen take apart two Atleasean Knights with his bare hands and then fight her, all while drunk on his feet. They tore up the place pretty good."</p><p>"Who won?" Clover had asked, in disbelief. </p><p>"Ironwood stopped the fight, but it was close. I would've put a lot of money on Branwen."</p><p>Even still, meeting him with all these expectations, all these stories, it couldn't have prepared him for the man that was Qrow Branwen.</p><p>Clover hadn't known who he was at the time, but he'd dealt with his fair share of detainees, and the fury coming off the man was nothing unusual.</p><p>"Hey pal," he'd scowled, craning his head to look up at him. "I'm a licensed Huntsman - just helped save everyone?"</p><p>He looked plain, nothing about him that screamed that he was the stuff of legends. His eyes were a bit startling, red not a common colour but not exactly rare either, but that was all. </p><p>The salt in his tone was nothing unusual either, and Clover ignored him as he spotted the weapon lying next to the man, something quite large for such a gaunt person. He'd shrugged it off, as he'd met multitudes of people in his career. It wasn't impossible for a man of his stature to heft a weapon like this, be it because of his pure strength or aid from his Semblance, but it must have been an impressive feat within itself.</p><p>Clover had held its handle as he confiscated it and found that it was lighter than he'd expected, the look of anger across its owner's face justified. Weapons were personal, and he figured if someone took Kingfisher away from him, he'd feel the same.</p><p>Qrow was...conflicting, in a way, Clover had realized as he had apologized for their misunderstanding. So quiet, so reserved, for someone that had been described as outspoken, as quick to draw his weapon, as someone so bold that had supposedly brought down enemies with barely a flick of his wrist. </p><p>Clover tried not to take it too personally that Qrow had looked disappointed when he'd told him that they would be partners.</p><p>"Got to say," Qrow had said on their first mission together, sounding as if he wasn't sure how to talk to people, "I'm still not used to working with other Huntsmen in the field."</p><p>"But you've worked on a team before, right?" Clover had heard of Team STRQ. Not often, not as much as he'd heard about Qrow, and he figured he knew the reason why, which was only confirmed by the way Qrow sighed.</p><p>"Not in a long time. I find it better if I work alone."</p><p>Poor bastard.</p><p>"Well, I think that's a shame." And it was. </p><p>Qrow wasn't like anything like the stories he'd been told, more accustomed to falling into silence, and he wondered if Winter's description of him being rowdy and distasteful had been slightly biased, or perhaps some of the stories about him had been exaggerated.</p><p>It was possible.</p><p>His answer had come to him in a shouted warning, a mournful look, and a guilty explanation.</p><p>"My Semblance brings Misfortune," he'd told him, not bothering to look his way. "Sometimes I can't keep it under control."</p><p>Oh. That explained a lot, why he was so withdrawn, so hesitant to work with others, and Clover hadn't felt pity for him. He had instead felt the urge to try to draw Qrow out of his shell.</p><p>"Don't beat yourself up about it," he'd said, spotting a way across the large gap. When Kingfisher brought down the debris, he turned to his partner with a smile. "My Semblance brings Good Fortune."</p><p>"Lucky you," he'd said, adding in a wink, and he watched as Qrow looked at him in surprise, in disbelief. </p><p>
  <strike>He'd turned away too quickly to see the sullen look that had followed.</strike>
</p><p>It had occurred to Clover later that day that their Semblances were opposite. Of course, that was obvious, but he realized something quite remarkable. If his own Semblance gave him an advantage, then Qrow - with his lack of control - was at a constant disadvantage, not knowing when something terrible would happen or even what form his bad luck would take. </p><p>Qrow was at a constant disadvantage in this game, and yet he kept on winning without any help from a team in a very long time. That alone was enough to make Clover consider all the stories he'd been told, and wondered how skilled Qrow must be that even with his bad luck he was still here, still thriving in a job where one instance of bad luck, one wrong move, could mean the end.</p><p>Clover gained a new respect for Qrow after that revelation, and it was hard not to ask a ton of questions, knowing the man preferred to be left alone. So Clover, pulling out the partner card at every chance he could get, made it his mission to spend time with Qrow rather than have him moping by his lonesome.</p><p>Qrow was smart too, with a keen sense of strategy and a good eye for detail, and Clover was now fully convinced that he and Winter simply had bad blood between them.</p><p>He didn't get to see Qrow fight first-hand until much later, usually too preoccupied with his own targets to be able to see what his partner was up to, but to say that he was speechless at what he saw was an understatement.</p><p>Breathless, was more like it.</p><p>Qrow wielded Harbinger with an odd ease and grace for such a large weapon, and watching him fight was like watching a dance, and the way he moved with seemingly little to no effort was jarring in itself, and it was hauntingly beautiful. There was a moment where he watched Qrow take a bad step, stumble, the claws of an Ursa just grazing the top of his head as he did so, and he watched the beast flail as it fell forward, Harbinger thrust into its stomach. There were instances where he was swarmed, the man barely glancing at enemies behind him as he swung his weapon, cutting them down without even looking their way. He watched Qrow work against his Semblance, watched as every single mistake seemed to be counteracted by the way Qrow moved, not even a hint of hesitation. Clover had still been in the state of shock several minutes later that he'd barely noticed that Qrow had finished his task, walked up to him and had started talking until a hand grazed his shoulder.</p><p>"You alright?"</p><p>"Uh, yeah." Clover had offered unhelpfully, hoping he hadn't been blushing. "Just thinking."</p><p>Qrow was everything he'd been told and so much more. It was remarkable, and Clover wouldn't have hesitated to call him the best Huntsman he'd ever seen. But the thing with Qrow was that he saw himself as the worst of the worst. The unlucky one, the miserable one, the one that was the root of all problems.</p><p>And Clover would have given anything to have Qrow take a glimpse at himself the way he did. </p><p>It was a waste. No, not a waste. It was sad, heartbreaking, even. </p><p>So Clover took it upon himself to make sure his partner saw the same things he did, hoping that Qrow would learn to appreciate himself, to know that he was better than all his self-doubt and deep-seated loathing.</p><p>"You shouldn't do that, you know," he'd said one day in the back of a transport, Qrow yet again selling himself short. </p><p>"Don't worry." Qrow had awkwardly smiled at him, fiddling with the cards in his hands. "I- I gave that up."</p><p>"I meant deflect a compliment," he'd responded when he realized the other had been talking about his drinking, and Winter's disliking of the man finally had a source. Clover hadn't seen the man so much as glance at any sort of alcohol during his stay in Atlas, and coupled with his reaction he would've said that man was ashamed of it. The more Clover learned about the man, the more questions he had, and they certainly weren't the type of questions to ask freely.</p><p>"Those kids wouldn't be where they are without you," he'd said instead of asking what he wanted. "You've had more of an effect on them than you realize."</p><p>He watched the way that Qrow had looked, sheepish, before they'd been interrupted.</p><p>Talking to Qrow worked. Making him feel comfortable around others worked. He wanted to be included but his usual stance of <em>hang back to avoid causing trouble for everyone else </em>made it difficult for him to relax while around other people. </p><p>Clover liked watching him learn to open up, liked watching the smile on his face seem less tense and more natural, liked the way he laughed out loud rather than chuckling to himself.</p><p>"Wish us luck," he'd said as he went to go join James and Winter behind closed doors.</p><p>"I mean, they already invited you, didn't they?"</p><p>He remembered chuckling at that, remembering the way Qrow used to scoff at his jokes about luck, and took it as something good, a small respite in a time of uncertainty. He could at least take comfort that his friend was healing unseen wounds. </p><p>That was the last time they'd been civil about the whole ordeal, hastily rushing over plans to protect Mantle on that night, the night that Clover watched everything he had precariously worked for slip through his fingers.</p><p>It had been no mistake that Qrow was ultimately dangerous in a fight, and Clover had seen first-hand what he could do with Harbinger. Qrow had been the bigger threat, his judgement hadn't lapsed at that, but his fault lay with fighting with Qrow in the first place. Even with Tyrian loose, undoing their work, he'd targeted Qrow, he'd made that choice</p><p>And never before had he been so utterly wrong.</p><p>He'd been thinking about this choice, about the thin relationship that now rested between them, like a glass being balanced on the edge of a table with the slightest of vibrations in the air likely to make it fall and shatter into a million pieces. Gone were the months of fighting side by side, of sitting in corners and talking about what came next, of inside jokes and petty fights and everything else in between. And of course, he hated it, hated that Qrow didn't look at him properly anymore, that every instance between them was strained and hollow and it would never be like it once was.</p><p>It had maybe been only an hour or so since they'd both turned away from each other, desperate to fall asleep and just pretend that everything was okay again. </p><p>And Clover cursed his luck that Qrow was less than a foot away from him and he couldn't do much about it but pull the blankets around him a little tighter and hope he fell asleep quickly. </p><p>"Cloves?" The familiar nickname now felt awkward to hear, but it was welcoming all the same. "Are you still awake?"</p><p>Clover hesitated for a moment before he rolled over, once again facing the other, coming almost nose to nose to his bedmate, and Qrow scuttled back a bit to give him room. He stayed silent for a while, watching red eyes stare him down.</p><p>"I-" Qrow started, but he clamped his mouth shut just as quickly. "I'm....sorry. I was angry. What happened to you, it was my fault."</p><p>"Qrow-"</p><p>"Just let me-" he sighed "-let me finish. Please. You said your piece, let me say mine."</p><p>"Alright."</p><p>"I....what happened that night, what happened <em>to you </em>- it was my fault. There's no other way to put it. I shouldn't have fought against you, I shouldn't have fought  <em> with  </em> Tyrian. I left Harbinger alone and I...I broke your aura. That and my bad luck, I...I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to apologize for something I did. I...I thought you were dead, and I mourned, and I felt so guilty. And I still do, but when I saw you I just...I'm still not sure. I was happy you were okay. I was angry with how we left things, and I didn't know what to do about it. I'm sorry. <em>For everything.  </em> And I know you want this to work but I understand if you change your mind, and if you do, just tell me. Don't pretend that you're okay with this, with <em>me. </em> I'm the reason you got hurt that night and I shouldn't be acting like this when you almost died."</p><p>"I-" Clover paused, thinking about what to say next. "I don't blame you. I think we both made wrong choices that night, and I think we're both sorry about what we did. I don't think we can place the blame here. We both fucked up."</p><p>"So....now what?"</p><p>"I know you think people secretly don't like you, Qrow, but I meant it when I said I wanted to fix things. And if it makes you feel better, if I <em>change my mind, </em>I'll let you know. Now please go to sleep. You're not the easiest to deal with in the morning."</p><p>If he heard Qrow's light-hearted, muttered <em>shut up </em>as he rolled back over, he didn't comment on it. </p><hr/><p>Clover was gone when he woke up, and Qrow took a few minutes to recollect himself. He...hadn't slept well, to say the least. Fewer dreams about Clover dying. More of them about the brunet laughing at him for being so naïve and trusting, Tyrian jeering at him and his bad luck as his own blade was stabbed into him.</p><p>He knew Clover wouldn't do such a thing, but his mind loved to torment him so.</p><p>He was always sluggish in the morning, more so after nights like that, and he pulled the blankets tighter around him. The room was surprisingly cold in the early hours despite the warmth of the blankets. His mind kept turning back to the conversation they'd had last night, remembering that he'd offered Clover a single chance for them to fix things between them, that they'd both apologized for their mistakes. </p><p>The gods knew that Qrow would've probably given in and let him have as many chances as he wanted.</p><p>
  <em> Loving him was a mistake. You should have known he was going to betray you. They always do.  </em>
</p><p><em> No, it wasn't a mistake, </em>he thought back at the ugly voice in his head. <em>I knew he was loyal. I wanted him to be loyal  </em> <strong> <em> to me. </em> </strong></p><p>It was selfish. He knew it was. But for once couldn't he just be a little bit selfish if it meant he'd be happy? He'd indulged himself in getting to know Clover, in caring for him, in thinking that maybe he was safe from his misfortune. </p><p>It was just his luck that everything had gone to hell.</p><p>There was a knock at his door, and Qrow was startled out of his thoughts, Taiyang and Oscar making their way in.</p><p>"Everyone decent?"</p><p>"Why would you ask that <em>after </em>coming in?" Oscar asked his roommate, looking exasperated.</p><p>"We're switching roommate buddies," Taiyang told his brother sternly. "Oscar gets up at the crack of dawn and he's loud as hell."</p><p>"I said I was sorry."</p><p>"Tai, look now you've made him sad."</p><p>Taiyang hugged him. "I am so sorry, small child."</p><p>"Please let go of me."</p><p>"Good to know you're still stupid in the morning," Qrow lazily smirked. </p><p>"Good to see you're actually awake before noon." Tai gestured to the half-empty bed. "You two all good now? He seemed a bit less stressed out earlier."</p><p>Qrow shrugged, not quite sure what to say about it. Apologies didn't make anything magically better, as he'd said the night before. </p><p>"You, on the other hand, look like shit."</p><p>"Thanks," he muttered back. "Couldn't sleep. Bed's weird."</p><p>Before Tai could question him any further, the door opened again.</p><p>"Oh good, you're all here." Clover held up a tray of drinks and began handing them out. "Black coffee for Tai, hot chocolate for Oscar."</p><p>He paused as he handed Qrow his. "Peace offering?"</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>"The most caffeinated drink they were legally allowed to give me," Clover said, slightly shaking the cup for emphasis. "But be warned that if you die drinking it we're not allowed to sue them, so have fun smelling colours for the rest of the day."</p><p>He took the cup from him. <em>Be nice, remember? You're trying to make it work. You </em><strong><em>want </em></strong><em>it to work.  </em>"Thanks Cloves."</p><p>Taiyang eyed him suspiciously. "Since when do you drink coffee?"</p><p>"Helps with withdrawal."</p><p>"Wait." Tai looked extremely happy. "You're sober?"</p><p>"For-" He paused, counting on his fingers. "Cloves, how long was I in prison?"</p><p>"Two months, give or take."</p><p>"Nine months, then? Ten? What the hell are you looking at?"</p><p>Clover was gawking at him. "We <em>met</em> nine months ago."</p><p>"Yeah. And?"</p><p>"When you told me you'd given up drinking, I didn't think you meant recently. You're telling me you just started sobering up when we met? Gods, no wonder you were a depressed bastard."</p><p>"Like you were any better Mr. I'm-Going-To-Show-Of-In-Front-Of-The-Newbies," Qrow snickered, drinking his coffee. <em>"Oh look at me I'm the captain of the Ace Ops and I'm going to do a flip off this high cliff without executing a landing strategy." </em></p><p>"Never mind all that," Tai butted in. "Qrow, that's amazing. I'm proud of you."</p><p>He stiffened at that. "I'm not-"</p><p>"Qrow," Clover hissed. "You should-"</p><p>"Take the compliment, I know, I know." </p><p>Tai looked back and forth between the two of them. "What the hell happened last night?"</p><p>"Shhhuuuusshhhh." Qrow made a <em>wait </em>gesture. "No more talking until I'm done drinking this. It's too early."</p><p>Clover chuckled. </p><hr/><p>"Qrow." He paused at Tai's hand on his shoulder, Clover and Oscar already downstairs and waiting for them. "Are you sure you're okay? You practically did a one-eighty from last night."</p><p>He nodded, sighing. "It's....not okay. Won't be for a while. I just- I think it'll get better. Eventually. Not soon, anyway. Clover just....reminded me I was being a bit stupid. We both were."</p><p>
  <em> More like he reminded you of how much you missed him.  </em>
</p><p>Tai only gawked at him. "Who are you and what have you done with Qrow Branwen?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm pretty sure I've fucked up the timeline of how long its been since Qrow and Robyn were arrested, but I'm officially saying in this chapter that it was about two months. If you're reading this and find somewhere where I said something else, please let me know so I can fix it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Roaming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The boys make plans on what their next step is.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wasn't even planning on posting this, since it's nowhere near next in my rotation but I got antsy.</p><p>I'm sorry for anyone that saw the words "fix-it fic" and thought this was gonna be an action-packed adventure. No. This is the volume Qrow gets his shit together through the power of talking things out (and eventually gains a boyfriend).</p><p>I've been working on stuff for Fair Game Week so a lot of my stuff has been put off for that. Be sure to keep an eye out for it, we start at the end of March.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So what's the plan?" Tai looked over to Clover.</p><p>"What're you looking at me for?"</p><p>Tai blinked, face otherwise blank. "You're the military man. What's our battle strategy? Where're we heading?"</p><p>"How should I know?" He shrugged. "I've never been this far out of Atlas."</p><p>"You're ridiculous," Qrow scoffed.</p><p>"How?"</p><p>"You're telling me I've been calling you <em>Boy Scout </em>this entire time and you aren't the <em>least bit prepared?</em>"</p><p>"Shut up," he fired back, but there wasn't any bite in it, the hint of a laugh in his voice.</p><p>"At least tell me you have a map?" Qrow asked, and Oscar beat him to it, pulling one from his bag. "Tells you something when <em>I'm </em>the expert here."</p><p>"So we're about here, in Rhea." He pointed a bit southward from where Argus was marked off. "If the kids are still going along with the initial plan, they're heading to Vacuo to give old Theo the heads up if Salem hasn't gotten to him first, seeing that they'll want Penny as far away from Atlas as they can get. I think we have two possible options here. The first one is that we head east and get to Vacuo by water and we meet the kids there, assuming they're at Shade and this isn't a Haven situation. It's the shortest route and will take less time."</p><p>"And then second option?" Tai bit his lip.</p><p>"It's much more time consuming, but it might be more beneficial in the long run. We head west, take the land route and head back to Vale first. Inform Glynda and the other teachers on what we've been doing, rest for a bit, and stock up proper before going after the kids. We might be able to shave off time if we have her pull a few strings and arrange for transportation from Vale to Shade. If we're <em>really</em> lucky, we can see if it's possible to discreetly send backup to Robyn without inciting an all-out war."</p><p>"Who's Glynda?" Clover asked.</p><p>"Oz's second in command. She was appointed Beacon's new Headmistress when he died. Is <em>died </em>the right word there? Whatever." Qrow sighed. "Honestly, our track record of headmasters hasn't been any good so far, but Glynda would rather saw off her own legs than give in to Salem."</p><p>Tai nodded. "If we could defeat Salem with stone cold glares, we'd send in Glynda."</p><p>"She sounds like fun."</p><p>"Backup would be great," Qrow went on, "and considering how long this journey might be it would be best if we could try to find transportation when we can. Even if we don't, it'll be good to rest up for a few days at home before heading out again. The only other problem I can see other than the time this will take is that if we go by land, we'll be cutting into the Branwen Tribe's territory."</p><p>Oscar - or perhaps Oz - let out a groan and Tai made a grimace.</p><p>Clover only looked at him, confused. "Branwen? Like you?"</p><p>"I keep forgetting you're not from around here," Qrow huffed. "Mistral's full of bandits. They say Vacuo's bad, but if you find yourself in a bad neck of the woods you have a very good chance of having yourself packed up and sold. Maybe dead and your shit stolen if you look like you're more trouble than you're worth. Not many people tend to care about keeping track of clans and all that, but if you're in the right circles, you pick up on names. If I run into people in those circles, they like to try to kill me, and that's always <em>fun</em>."</p><p>"You're....part of a bandit tribe?"</p><p>"Used to be." He waved it off. "Was born into it. Fucked off to Beacon and never looked back."</p><p>Clover but his lip. "Then shouldn't they want to help you if you know them?"</p><p>Qrow burst out laughing, Tai shaking his head.</p><p>When he managed to catch his breath, Qrow spoke again. "Raven would sooner have my head on a pike."</p><p>"Raven? As in, your <em>sister</em> Raven?" He ran a hand over his face when Qrow nodded. "Gods."</p><p>"Exactly. So bottom line is that we might either get chopped into tiny pieces or be sold as slave labour, depending on what mood she's in."</p><p>"No chance of getting her to cooperate?" Clover asked again. "Like at all?"</p><p>"Maybe if we had something she needs," Qrow sighed, "but we don't and even then I wouldn't hold my breath. The day Raven asks for my help is the day the gods come back of their own volition."</p><p>Oscar nodded. "I haven't met Raven, but from what Oz has told me about her....it's not very good. She's ruthless, and incredibly set in her ways. It would be better if we could avoid the tribe, but I like the idea of having some sort of backup. And it might be....beneficial if Oz could explain everything to Glynda and the others."</p><p>"Any objections to going the long way round?"</p><p>There were a few shrugs and shakes of heads.</p><p>"Alright, it's settled then."</p>
<hr/><p>Tai had seen many things in his relatively young life - he'd been a Huntsman after all. He'd seen the worst of it, the broken, the battle-damaged, the dead. It wasn't an easy life, but Team STRQ had known that well before they'd even set foot in Beacon's halls. Tai still knew that, his experiences out in the field only solidifying the motto that they'd all heard throughout their entire lives.</p><p>
  <em>Being a Huntsman is never easy.</em>
</p><p>"Do you want to spar?"</p><p>So Tai had seen many things, and what he'd learned from Ozpin - extended upon by Oscar and Qrow's revelations - had only made him more attuned to what went on in the world, his sights scrutinized heavily in case that maybe, maybe, they held magic within them.</p><p>"Sure. I'm a bit rusty anyways. Been cramped up in that cell for too long."</p><p>Of all the things Tai had seen, he'd never, not once in his many years on the field and by his side, ever seen Qrow Branwen's hands shake when holding Harbinger. Even heavily drunk, Qrow retained enough of his senses that he was able to keep a grip on his weapon. It was an impressive feat, really. Harbinger was, Tai knew from trying to heft the thing, really heavy when one was unfamiliar with how to properly balance it, hence Qrow was the only one that could wield it without issue, and he figured the man would prefer it that way. Of course, there would be few who could hold it, but none could properly fight with it like Qrow could. The fact that Qrow could keep his grip on it while fully intoxicated was one of the many reasons he was a great Huntsman. He'd seen Qrow lose his balance in battle, losing his footing and trip or miss a simple strike - all products of either his Semblance or his preferences in drink, but never once did his resolve falter, and not once did his hands shake.</p><p>To see it now, accompanied with a rattling noise as Qrow attempted to pull the weapon from the sheath strapped to his back, along with the face of panic - one that he recognized as one that was predicting that something bad would happen - it made Tai's heart want to claw its way out of his chest.</p><p>They'd only stopped in the clearing to rest,  Clover suggesting a quick training session since they'd yet to cross any Grimm. The way Qrow looked, trying so hard to just wrap his hand around the handle, seemed as if the other Huntsman had asked him to pull Atlas down from the sky with his bare hands.</p><p>This was bad. This was <em>really</em> bad.</p><p>His hands were still shaking as he took an uneasy breath and he pulled the weapon in front of him, dropping it as it extended into its lance formation. Qrow dropped to his knees, his breathing becoming more erratic as Clover rushed to check on him.</p><p>"I can't do it....I can't do it!"</p><p>"Qrow." Clover's voice was quiet. "Breathe. Take it slow."</p><p>Tai almost flinched when Oscar grabbed his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. They shared a look as Qrow was helped to his feet, neither of them sure what was happening, but it was clear something had happened back in Atlas, on the day everything had gone wrong.</p><p>Tai watched as his brother flung himself into the other, not even hesitating to wrap his arms around him, and he took that as a sign that they were watching something they probably shouldn't, quietly tugging Oscar a good distance away so that they could have a moment in private.</p><p>"Do you know what happened to him?" He asked when they were far enough away, Oscar shaking his head.</p><p>"The two of them and Robyn were supposed to be transporting one of Salem's follwers to Atlas," he said. "That was the plan. Next thing I know, we're being hunted and Qrow's picture wasn't next to ours. None of us were sure if...."</p><p>He didn't need to finish his sentence, the rest of it hanging between them uneasily.</p><p>"I've never seen him struggle like that," Tai muttered under his breath. "I watched him build the damn thing. He takes care of it regularly. Even when he was still learning how to use it, he never had problems with just holding it. You know how they say a weapon's an extension of ourselves? I've never seen a better example of it than Qrow with Harbinger."</p><p>"Something really bad must have happened then." Oscar looked back in the direction they'd come from.</p><p>Tai nodded. "You ever get a read on the two of them? Like did you ever get a sense of what they were like?"</p><p>"I can't really comment on that. I spent most of my time in Atlas with James. He...he wanted to talk to Ozpin."</p><p>Tai shook his head. Poor kid was being forced to grow up too fast, and no doubt he was scared. He hoped, for Oscar's sake, that Ozpin could delay the merge for as long as possible.</p><p>"But Ruby told me they seemed like close friends," he added when he noticed the man frowning. "Apparently they were mission partners, so they spent a lot of time together."</p><p>"Mission partners?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Qrow let himself get partnered?"</p><p>"I wouldn't say that." Oscar fiddled with his gloves. "I wasn't around for it but Ja- Ironwood apparently had a fight with him over it. He won out in the end and Qrow was partnered. Well, not exactly <em>partnered. </em>The Ace Ops didn't do that kind of thing. It was more....uh, for show, I guess, to make us look better to the public since we weren't military."</p><p>"Still, I can see why he didn't like it."</p><p>"I....I don't know why you're asking me about this. Qrow doesn't like me - doesn't like <em>us.</em>"</p><p>"Well excuse me for caring about my brother-in-law that's currently having a mental breakdown." Tai narrowed his eyes. "You know, Oz, you shouldn't be the one to talk after all this shit."</p><p>Oscar held up a finger. There was a pause and his eyes flashed.</p><p>
  <b>"I know, and I am sorry, but right now it would be more beneficial if we focused on giving Qrow emotional support. Captain Ebi might be able to keep him steady for now, but this is a matter that should be approached with caution, especially since none of us know the root of the problem. Your usual tricks, Taiyang, are not appropriate."</b>
</p><p>Tai scowled at him as Oscar's eyes flashed again. "I hate that you're right."</p><p>Tai was Qrow's family, and he would always be there for him, but this was - for now - between the two of them.</p>
<hr/><p>Qrow probably should've told Clover he was practically going to tackle him into a hug, but he was too preoccupied with trying to calm himself down, trying to force air into his lungs.</p><p>He didn't realize he was shaking until Clover pulled him closer, and they stayed that way until his breathing wasn't so laboured, so panicked.</p><p>This was stupid.</p><p>
  <em>Why am I such a mess?</em>
</p><p>"I wouldn't say a mess," Clover said, and he realized he'd spoken out loud. "Hot mess, maybe."</p><p>"Shut up," he managed to croak out, but it came with a dry laugh as well.</p><p>"Qrow, you've been through a lot. No one would hold it against you if you need a break."</p><p>He shook his head. "I shouldn't be like this. You're the one who almost died."</p><p>"And I'm still dealing with it." Clover's hands cupped his face. "I might not show it, but I'm dealing with it. I've had weeks of people helping me get back on my feet and looking after me. This isn't the first time I've had close calls. They didn't even bother to tell you I was alive. You're stressed and angry and scared and I don't blame you. I had that chance to recover, to pull myself together. No one bothered to give you the chance, but now you have the time to take it."</p><p>In any other circumstance, Qrow would've blushed, sputtered, tried to distance himself, but he was just so tired that he couldn't be bothered with trying.</p><p>"Take a few days for everything to settle in. We just got on the road, you're still processing....well, <em>me. </em>You're just....out of practise, alright?"</p><p><em>What if Grimm swam, </em>he wanted to ask,<em> and I'm not ready? What if I can't fight anymore? What if Callows comes back to finish the job?</em></p><p>Qrow could only mutely nod, ignoring the questions raging inside his head.</p><p>"Okay." Clover took a moment to study him, and Qrow looked away. "We're not going to spar. I don't think that's a good idea. Can you....can you hold Harbinger, at least? Or do you want me to get it?"</p><p>Qrow wasn't sure how to answer the question. If he wielded Harbinger, something bad would happen, he just knew it, could feel it deep inside his bones, but the image of Clover hefting his weapon, the very thing that nearly <em>killed him-</em></p><p>He didn't even really get to answer, not registering that Clover had already walked over to the fallen weapon, grabbing its handle and lifting it with ease.</p><p>"Hey wait-" Nausea hit him in full force.</p><p>"I remember this thing being light," Clover said, examining the blade. "But this is something else. Lots of details. So how does it turn into a scythe? Like this?"</p><p>"Don't-"</p><p>He pressed the trigger and the blade released, the gun barrel aligning itself as a shot rang out, hitting a tree at the edge of the clearing, birds crying out in alarm as they took off.</p><p>"Guess not." Clover chuckled to himself as Qrow watched on with a mix of amazement and horror.</p><p>"Are you insane?!" He shouted as he walked over to <strike>his partner</strike> Clover. "You're going to hurt yourself!"</p><p>"Well then," Clover gave him a cheeky smile. "Guess you're going to have to show me how it works."</p><p>"No. No I don't." Qrow took the weapon from him with his hands still shaking, collapsing the weapon and stowing it away. "I- I can barely hold it, and why would you- why would you <em>want</em> to?"</p><p>Clover shrugged. "If I can convince you it's a good idea, could you teach me?"</p><p>He shook his head. He didn't like that idea, hated it. Nothing good could come of it, he was sure.</p><p>"Why do you <em>want</em> to?"</p><p>"I think it would be better for the both of us. Let me use Harbinger. I could let you use Kingfisher for now."</p><p>He laughed uneasily at that. "You're crazy."</p><p>"Oh really?" Clover walked over to him, and Qrow was reminded as he came close - too close, much too close - of the times when they'd <strike>play-flirt</strike> spar and this was a bit much. "How so?"</p><p>"You want to wield the weapon that nearly killed you." Qrow steeled himself and raised his head so that he was looking his <strike>partner</strike> colleague in the eye, harsh teal staring back. "Tell me how that doesn't sound crazy."</p><p>Clover smirked at him, and he was reminded how close they were yet again and took a step back.</p><p>"I'd like to, if you don't mind, just to prove I can. I <em>am</em> uncomfortable with it, and I don't like feeling that way, so what better way to deal with it than learning how to use it? And since you seem uncomfortable with Harbinger for now, I thought it might be good if we switch things up. Even though I said it would be fine if you take a few days and know the others would be okay with it, I <em>also </em>know that you're too stubborn to listen to reason. So you have two choices now - either you tire yourself out by trying to use Harbinger when you aren't ready and get angry and self-deprecating at how you're making no progress, or we let you use another weapon. Conveniently, I want to use Harbinger, so why not have you use Kingfisher?"</p><p>"You're still crazy," Qrow said again, "but...you're not wrong."</p><p>"About which part?" Clover gave him another playful smile.</p><p>He awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck, sighing. "It probably would have made me angry."</p><p>"And that wasn't even a lucky guess."</p><p>Qrow raised an eyebrow. "You just know me that well?"</p><p>"You pick up on a few things. So how about we try this out?"</p><p>Qrow began to play with his rings. Clover wielding Harbinger....</p><p>He didn't put much stock into his nightmares because he knew this particular set of them weren't real. Clover was a good person. He wouldn't use his weapon against him. Still, the image he had made him sick, made him trudge up every single emotion he'd felt that night and increased it tenfold. Maybe it would make him feel better, to see Clover wield his weapon and see no danger in it.</p><p>
  <strike>
    <em>You're supposed to be making it work.</em>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <em>Making it work doesn't mean I have to agree with everything he says. </em>
</p><p>"Just for a bit," he settled on, not unlike the answer he'd given the day before of <em>one more chance,</em> whispered and barely audible, except this time he did not agree with it, not even the slightest.</p><p>Clover nodded, unclipping Kingfisher from his belt, turning into so that the handle was facing him as the weapon extended, Qrow doing the same.</p><p>The weapons exchanged hands.</p>
<hr/><p>"Oscar?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>Taiyang looked to the boy as they both sat under the shade of the tree. They'd wandered a bit farther away to give the other two some space, but they were unsure of when they should head back, so they were biding their time, just in case.</p><p>"Doesn't it bother you, having another voice in your head?"</p><p>Oscar sighed, wringing his hands together. "Sometimes?"</p><p>"And the other times?"</p><p>He laughed. "Would you believe me if I said I enjoy the company?"</p><p>"No, I wouldn't."</p><p>The boy cocked his head to the side, silently asking for an explanation.</p><p>"I can tell you're only pretending you're okay." Tai let his head fall backwards, hitting the bark of the tree as he looked up at the sky. "And before you argue about it, don't bother. We'd both know you'd just be lying."</p><p>"You're the first person to notice." Oscar put his hands in his lap, fiddling with his gloves. "H-how'd you know?"</p><p>Tai turned to look at him.</p><p>"I used to pretend too."</p><p>"Oh." Oscar looked embarrassed about it, not meeting his eyes.</p><p>"Don't look so glum, kiddo. It's not the end of the world. Not yet at least. Mind if I be a dad for a minute?"</p><p>"Go ahead."</p><p>"Sometimes the voices in your head are horrible, and I'm not talking about the two souls thing." He took Oscar's hand. "And sometimes it's a good idea to recognize that what you're thinking about is stupid. You're much too young to be in this fight, and you don't have control over that. What you do have control over is how you handle it, and sometimes the best thing you can do is take a step back and tell yourself <em>hey this thing is bothering me and I'm only making it worse by thinking about it.</em>"</p><p>Before Oscar could reply, a shot rang out, and the two of them were scrambling to their feet, racing back towards where they'd left the other half of their group.</p><p>"You're not holding it right."</p><p>Tai paused to catch his breath, watching what was probably one of the most baffling things he'd ever seen.</p><p>Clover looked like a beginning huntsman with the way he was standing, like one of the freshmen at Signal that only knew about fighting from their parents or maybe another family member. He awkwardly stood, holding Harbinger as one would a staff rather than a sword, Qrow next to him and correcting the positioning of his hands by moving them and explaining what exactly he was doing wrong.</p><p>Tai stared at them in disbelief. "You two are ridiculous."</p><p>"You got a better idea?" Qrow asked, throwing his hands in the air, and the end of the staff he was holding came flying off, a hook and line snagging itself somewhere in the brush of a nearby tree.</p><p>"Is....is that a fishing rod?"</p><p>Clover shrugged. "It's also a harpoon."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Fallen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The higher you are, the farther you fall.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING: This chapter contains self-harm, heavy drinking, talk about suicide, and discussions about mental illness. Please read at your own risk.</p><p>I wanted to include more Tai and Oscar interaction this chapter but it got too long. I also wasn't planning on posting this today but I'm procrastinating on something else so here you go.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next town over seemed much more Mistral than Atlas, far enough away from Argus that it took very little inspiration from the northern kingdom. Like Rhea, the town was relatively small, and their uneventful journey by cart, courtesy of a friendly merchant passing by, had gotten them there by sundown.</p><p>
  <strike>Clover pretended not to notice the way Qrow kept his grip on Kingfisher for the entire time.</strike>
</p><p>At 10pm Qrow had left the room telling him he wanted to go out for a walk. Clover had offered to go with him, but the older man had declined, saying he needed a bit of time alone.</p><p>
  <strike>He should have gone with him.</strike>
</p><p>At 11pm, Clover texted Qrow to ask where he was.</p><p>
  <strike>He didn't think anything of it.</strike>
</p><p>At 11:30pm, he went to ask Tai and Oscar if he'd seen the other. Tai had shrugged, said that it was common for Qrow to go out for long stretches and not answer his phone. "He can take care of himself. I'm sure he's fine."</p><p>
  <strike>He should have went out to look for him.</strike>
</p><p>At midnight, there was a knock on the door, a stoutly woman holding Qrow upright, his eyes bloodshot. He looked dishevelled, soaked in sweat, mumbling to himself as the woman that held him sighed with disdain.</p><p>
  <strike> <em>He should have gone with him.</em> </strike>
</p><p>"This one yours?" She asked, Qrow's face ashen as his head drooped downwards.</p><p>"Yes," he said quickly, moving out of the doorway to let them in. The woman roughly deposited him onto the bed, and Qrow weakly rolled onto his side, eyes darting around the room feverishly.</p><p>"What happened to him?"</p><p>Qrow's sleeves were covered in blood. Clover didn't know how it had gone unnoticed - or perhaps it would be correct in thinking that the tired woman holding his <strike>friend</strike> companion up simply didn't care - but it definitely was blood.</p><p>The woman gave him a look as if the answer to that question should have been obvious.</p><p>"Your boyfriend here drank more than he could handle," she scoffed.</p><p><em>"Drank?" </em>He felt his blood run cold.</p><p>She nodded. "Drank."</p><p><em>Oh Qrow. What have you done? </em>Panic immediately seized him as he realized what this was, what it meant. Was it just yesterday that the idea of sobriety came up? Or perhaps was that this morning? How long ago did Qrow smile at him, joke around, thank him for the coffee?</p><p>"How....how much did he-"</p><p>"Three, by my count," she said, crossing her arms.</p><p>"Okay. That's fine. Three drinks isn't that much." Qrow would hate himself for the act regardless, but the less in him, the easier he might be able to handle at the moment.</p><p>The woman just snickered. "Bottles, hun."</p><p>"That's-" Clover's mouth went dry. "That's a lot more. Why- why did you let him have so much?"</p><p>"Said he could handle it." Why wasn't she bothered by this? Why wasn't she more concerned? This was a person, a human being-</p><p>
  <em>"Get out."</em>
</p><p>"I'm not refunding you," she called over her shoulder as she left, leaving the two men alone, Qrow looking at him with fear in his eyes.</p><p>He couldn't have cared any less about the money.</p><p>Clover knelt down next to the bed. Qrow was mumbling underneath his breath, it almost sounded like nonsense, he couldn't even pick out a few words among the near-silent rambling.</p><p>Clover's scars were acting up again as Qrow reached out a slightly bloodied hand. "What did- why- <em>what were you thinking?</em>"</p><p>"Too much."</p><p>Clover went to work on trying to pull off the bloody clothes, and that was when he noticed the long ribbon-like scars running down Qrow's forearms. They were shallow, so they looked worse than they were and didn't need stitching but it was still concerning as Clover found a cloth to wipe away the blood, a roll of bandages by his side.</p><p>"Where did you get these from?"</p><p>Qrow's free hand that was out of Clover's grasp reached up to his wrist and he dragged his fingernails down the length of his arm. Clover didn't know what to make of the action. His hands couldn't have made marks like these, that bleed this much. He'd ask again when he was sober.</p><p>The other man was starting to hiccup now, sniffling and he kept trying to yank his hands away.</p><p>"How are you feeling?" He chanced a look at Qrow's face. He was crying, but it was an angry sorts of crying, frustrated and tired and he wanted to know what Qrow was feeling, why he'd relapsed like this, why he hadn't tried to find a distraction or warn one of them that he'd become restless.</p><p>
  <strike>Clover knew that this had something to do with him, that Qrow didn't want to be around him, didn't want to talk to him. Drink was a much familiar friend than he was, a much more caring friend then he would ever be.</strike>
</p><p>Qrow would regret his decision come morning. That's how it went, but it seemed that he was already starting to become bitter, hate wafting off of him as if it were infecting the room.</p><p><em>This is your fault. He drank because of you. He drank because you </em> <b> <em>abandoned</em> </b> <em> him and then you forced him into forgiving you. </em></p><p>He mumbled, then let out a loud sob, but angry as he was it just came out as a yell, as something pained and miserable.</p><p>"Shut up! Shut the fuck up! I don't want to be here! I don't want to be here!"</p><p>He began to scratch feverishly at his arms, pulling on the bandages, and Clover grabbed his arms and held them in place before he could unravel them completely.</p><p>"We need to get you patched up-"</p><p>"Leave me alone."</p><p>His voice was empty, hollow, as if the drink had taken everything away from him. He looked up at Clover from the mess of bandages with tired, haunted eyes. Eyes that were not the red he had come to know, but a dull, washed-out grey.</p><p>Clover felt as if he'd been stabbed all over again.</p><p>"Go away," Qrow tried again in that same raspy voice, once more pulling himself out of Clover's grasp and turning himself over, curling in on himself.</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"I'll make things worse." He was still somewhat coherent for the amount he'd drank, his words ringing with clarity despite the slur to them. Clover didn't like it. "I always- it's always worse."</p><p>"No," Clover whispered, then raised his voice so that Qrow could hear him. "No. Qrow, you don't make things worse-"</p><p>"It's my fault. It's all my fault. I can't even use <em>my fucking weapon-</em>"</p><p>He sobbed, shaking as his hands went to his hair, violently pulling. "Everyone gets hurt because of me. Clover, the kids, Summer - all because of me. All because of...."</p><p>He laughed, the sound an ugly, bitter noise. "I should just leave. For good. Can't hurt anyone if I'm dead."</p><p>Clover felt his blood run cold. Was that what those marks on his arms were?</p><p>Clover sighed, then wordlessly pulled Qrow into a hug. The gesture was returned, but it felt hollow, as if Qrow leaning against him was nothing more than a way to keep himself from lying back down.</p><p>"You would."</p><p>The older man pulled away, looking at him with wide, red-rimmed eyes. Grey, like the steel of his sword. Grey like Kingfisher's hook. Grey like the metal walls of Atlas and the walls and ceiling he'd stared at for so long lying in that hospital bed. Dulled. Absent. Hopeless. Grey.</p><p>Clover wasn't sure how to deal with this, how to comfort him without causing him to spiral further into this, without him trying to hurt himself again.</p><p>The only thing he could do was tell the truth.</p><p>"Qrow, if you died, do you know how much those kids would miss you? How much Tai and I would miss you? Do you really think dying would make it hurt <em>less? </em>Those kids think the world of you."</p><p>Qrow said nothing, hiccuping as he was held, as Clover once again tried to comfort him.</p><p>"You're so much more than your Semblance," he went on, pulling Qrow closer, fingers gently combing through his hair. "You're not the cause of every single little thing that goes wrong. We all care about you, Qrow. You're not the burden you think you are. Like I've said before, those kids couldn't have gotten far without you. You're an amazing huntsman, and an even better person."</p><p>"I'm not."</p><p>"Of course you are."</p><p>"I can't even be a huntsman."</p><p>Clover wished he knew what to say, he truly did. "You're a pretty fast learner. You did well working with Kingfisher. You'll get it. And you'll eventually go back to working with Harbinger. You just need time."</p><p>"How long is this going to take?"</p><p>"I don't know. But I'll help you until you get there, alright?"</p><p>Qrow moved his head, and Clover supposed that was a nod. He untangled himself from Qrow, who reached towards him with a pained whimper.</p><p>"I'm going to get you some water. I'll be right back."</p><p>Qrow silently took the offering, sitting on the bed. He'd forgone messing with the bandages, slowly drinking his water, blankly staring at the wall. When finished, his dull eyes turned to Clover, and he held out his arms. Clover laid down next to him, holding him close, positioning Qrow so that he was on his side, Qrow's back to his chest.</p><p>His breathing slowed in a matter of minutes, though Clover's eyes remained open, watching over his partner in case he started to choke.</p><hr/><p>Clover woke up to the sound of Qrow crying. He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around the man once more as the other sobbed into his shoulder. They both stayed that way, neither of them sure for how long.</p><p>Light was straining through the curtains, the sun not exactly up but the sky was beginning to turn pink.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Qrow managed once he'd found his voice again.</p><p>"If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. I should have-"</p><p>"Clover," he croaked out, his grip tightening around the man. "It's so much worse if you make excuses for me. So don't. Please."</p><p>Clover said nothing, but nodded, still holding the man against him.</p><p>"It's not your fault," Qrow went on. "I...You were right with what you said yesterday. About, about me needing to adjust. About how I needed time. But I didn't want that. I just wanted it all to go away and I..."</p><p>He trailed off.</p><p>"It's not your fault," he said again.</p><p>"Do you want to die?"</p><p>He stiffened at the bluntness of the question. "No. No, I don't."</p><p>"Then why-"</p><p>"I don't know. I don't know, okay?" He sucked in a deep breath, burying his head in Clover's shoulder. "I just wanted it all to stop, and then all the shit I- that I used to think about came up and I, I just thought it would be better if I wasn't here. But my Semblance would only keep coming back. So I thought maybe...I wasn't going to go through with it. I wasn't."</p><p>The way he said it, quiet as could be, the pain in his voice, strained, tired - Clover felt all of that hurt, his stomach making itself into knots.</p><p>"Do you feel like this a lot? That it would be...better if you weren't here?"</p><p>Qrow nodded, then slipped out of bed, making his way over to the bathroom sluggishly, almost zombie-like.</p><p>Clover....got up. Started to get dressed. When he was finished he heard the door open and Qrow weakly cleared his throat, Clover turning back around to meet him. The man was half-dressed, his usual layers haphazardly thrown on, Qrow in the process of tidying himself up but it looked as if the prospect of fumbling with his buttons were a Herculean task.</p><p>"Cloves, I...." He awkward coughed. "Thanks. For staying with me yesterday. I know it....probably didn't look too good. So thank you."</p><p>Clover crossed the room and helped Qrow fix up the rest of his buttons.</p><p>"Qrow can you do me a favour?"</p><p>He looked startled at the suggestion. "Depends on the favour."</p><p>"When you feel like you'd be better off somewhere else, either dead or just elsewhere, can you give me a reason for you to stay? I- I don't care <em>what </em>it is, just something that'll...take your mind off things."</p><p>Qrow didn't feel like arguing. So he nodded.</p><p>Clover kept staring.</p><p>"Why're you looking at me like that?"</p><p>"Your eyes - they're red again."</p><p>Qrow let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, that tends to happen when you bawl your eyes out."</p><p>"No, not like that. Yesterday they were grey."</p><p>"That happens." Qrow shrugged. "You ever here about passive Semblances having a tell? That's mine. Grey eyes mean my aura's tapped. If you see'em flash red, stand back."</p><p><em>But I've only seen you with red eyes. </em>Dark red eyes, at that. Even now they were light, still with streaks of grey but mostly a reddish pink. He remembered seeing Qrow having lighter eyes in the training hall or after a mission, but he had chalked it up to the lighting.</p><p>"Flash red?"</p><p>"Doesn't happen all the time Misfortune knocks, but hey, it's a good warning system."</p><p>"Why only sometimes then?"</p><p>"Beats me."</p><p>Qrow still looked worn out. Clover wanted to say something, but he couldn't think of anything that already hadn't been said.</p><p>"Are you sure you don't want to sleep a little longer?" Was what he settled with. "I can tell the others you're sick if you need me to."</p><p>Qrow shook his head Clover finished up with his buttons. "Don't want to delay the trip."</p><p>"That's not what this is about Qrow. You can barely button up your shirt. Do you need more sleep? Don't think about where we're going."</p><p>"I'll be fine. I just need a few minutes to wake myself up."</p><p>"Fine." Clover huffed. If there was one thing he knew about Qrow Branwen, it was that the man was stubborn. "But if you need more rest, tell me immediately."</p><p>
  <em>"Yes, mother."</em>
</p><p>"Morning gents!" Tai greeted as they were leaving the room. "Everyone ready to go?"</p><p>His eyes landed on Qrow, who was mid-yawn.</p><p>"Jeez, Qrow. You still look like shit, if that's possible," he joked, but his smile faded when he saw the face Qrow was making. "Qrow?"</p><p>"I...." He paused, thinking about the words he was about to say, knowing that there was no going back from it, that it needed to be said or else it would blow up into something else later and he didn't want to <strike>be any more trouble</strike> deal with that kind of argument.</p><p>"I had a rough night," he said, rubbing at his eyes and at his face that he was sure revealed the tears from both last night and this morning. "I....had a lot to drink."</p><p>The silence was more torturous then anything Tai could have said to him, and all he could do was look - look at the way Oscar was suddenly fretting over his gloves, look at the way Tai was slowly processing what he had just said and staring at the bandages on his arms, not see but feel Clover's gaze on him.</p><p>And then Tai grabbed his hand and pulled him downstairs.</p><p>Clover and Oscar didn't follow.</p><p>"Tai?"</p><p>He didn't speak, pulling Qrow out of the inn and down the road, stopping in front of a building a few streets down, pulling out his scroll, firing off a quick text before shoving it back in his pocket.</p><p>"Tai, listen-"</p><p>His brother-in-law rounded on him, and Qrow flinched on instinct, prepared for the meltdown and ensuing argument that was sure to come. After his argument with Clover two days prior and after everything that had happened yesterday, he wasn't sure he could handle it.</p><p>It never came. Tai was looking at him not with anger, but with concern.</p><p>"What happened?" There was nothing sour in the way he spoke, nothing resentful.</p><p>Qrow awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck. "The usual shit. Tai, what is this-"</p><p>"Qrow, yesterday you told me you were nine months sober." He shrunk down on himself, as if Tai's words were an accusation. "And you looked happy. So I need you to tell me what fucking happened in between that and you going on a bender."</p><p>"I'm fine."</p><p>"No, you're not." Tai seemed unfazed in his accusation, Qrow staring at him blankly. "Is that what you told Clover? Because I highly doubt he would've just let you walk out of your room looking like this."</p><p>"Don't drag him into this."</p><p>"I'm not." Tai opened the door to the building they had stopped in front of, and Qrow had no choice but to follow. "He seems like a decent guy, but you can't use the same bullshit you used to convince him that you were fine on me."</p><p>Apparently they'd walked into some sort of restaurant, Tai sitting down at a booth and Qrow across from him.</p><p>"So we're going to have a nice, long talk while you sober up."</p><p>"Tai, I-" He cut himself off as a waitress came to take their order, which Tai had already thought over.</p><p>"Two coffees and two specials of the day." When she was gone, he turned his attention back to Qrow, who stared down at the table as if it were suddenly the most important thing in the world.</p><p>"I'm sorry."</p><p>Tai shook his head. "This isn't something you should be apologizing for."</p><p>"But I-"</p><p>"Everyone has bad days." Tai folded his hands together. "You don't know how to handle yours. You don't have to tell me what happened. If you want, you don't have to breathe a word of it. But it's clear you've been through a lot and it would help if you didn't just ignore it all like you usually do."</p><p>"Why are you acting like nothing happened?"</p><p>"I'm not." Tai let out a sigh. "Qrow, if I dropped a bowl and it broke, would you be mad at me?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"And if I skipped my meds for a day, would you get mad at me?"</p><p>
  <em>"Did you take-"</em>
</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, I took them. I'm saying if I did skip a day."</p><p>The waitress brought them their coffees, and Qrow's eyes lingered on her until she was once again out of earshot.</p><p>"Of course not. I mean I'd bother you until you'd take them, but I wouldn't get mad. Maybe if I found out you'd been skipping them for a while."</p><p>"There you go." Tai's hands curled around his cup. "Same thing."</p><p>"It's really not." Qrow leaned back in his seat. He hadn't exactly been fine dandy when Clover had asked him whether or not he'd been okay to start their trip, but as the minutes dragged on he was starting to feel it more and more. This hangover felt like it was the worst one he'd ever had.</p><p>"It is. It's just a bad day." He took a sip of his coffee. "I'm going to be completely honest with you. I should've forced you to get help years ago. I should've done a lot of things. But we're well past that point and we need to get you sorted before this gets worse. You need a coping mechanism that doesn't involve getting plastered."</p><p>"No shit, Tai." It came out harsher than intended. "Why the hell are you even bothering with this shit? It's not your problem."</p><p>"You said you'd make me take my meds if I skipped them?"</p><p>"Yeah. Why?"</p><p>Tai took another sip of coffee, pushing Qrow's cup towards him. "Drink. It'll wake you up a little."</p><p>Qrow held the cup but didn't drink.</p><p>"I want you to consider this me telling you to take your meds." Tai's eyes met his. They were different then Clover's, much more tired. Made sense, with all his old teammate had seen, had been through. He'd almost forgotten the burden those eyes carried. "You need help, Qrow, and it's not doing you any good to ignore help for yourself when you're always trying to deal with everyone else."</p><p>"It wasn't like I was planning to go drinking," he muttered. "I really did want to go for a walk, honest."</p><p>"I'm not blaming you for anything. Again, I don't know what's going on with you, and you don’t have to say it, but the longer you keep it bottled the worse it's going to get. If you don't want to talk to me, talk to Clover. Hell, talk to Oz for all I care."</p><p>He sighed. "I know you feel like shit after what happened yesterday, but it's fine. You're allowed to have bad days. You're allowed to have days were you scream and cry. You're allowed to skip your meds for one day. Just don't make those days a habit. Nine months is a long time, and I'm so proud of you for that, even with this one bad day. So don't think of it as failing. This is just another Day One. You did it once, you can do it again. Now, talk to me. Please."</p><p>"What if I don't want to talk about it?" His own voice sounded strained even to his own ears.</p><p>"If you don't feel comfortable talking about it...." He paused, considering it for a moment. "Let's not talk about it right now. You said the usual shit was bothering you. Talk about that."</p><p>Qrow waved it aside. "<em>The usual shit. </em>My Semblance and all that crap."</p><p>It was said muffled, a hand going to rest against the side of his face.</p><p>Tai thought for a moment before reaching into his bag, pulling out a bright yellow package, then handed it to him.</p><p>"Sour candy?" Qrow raised an eyebrow at him. "You hate this stuff."</p><p>"I know. I'll tell you something my therapist told me. Each time I'd get a bad thought, instead of doing something that could hurt me or someone else, I'd eat one of these. If I thought about skipping meals or thought something bad about myself or got unnecessarily angry at someone, I'd take one. I'd hate the taste so much it would distract me from whatever I was thinking about."</p><p>"Giving me candy for feeling like shit isn't going to do anything."</p><p>"I know. So every time you pop one of these, I want you to think about something good about yourself. Could be something simple as <em>I look nice today. </em>Just something that'll make you feel better, even just for a second."</p><p>
  <em>First Clover's thing and now this?</em>
</p><p>Tai held out the bag again and shook it.</p><p>"Now?"</p><p>"You're telling me it's all sunshine and rainbows up there?"</p><p>Qrow sighed and took one. It was lemon flavoured, one of those kinds of candies that you'd have to spend a few minutes on before being able to chew it.</p><p>"Annnndddd?"</p><p>"Give me a second," he said curtly. Something good about himself?</p><p><em>You're an amazing huntsman, and an even better person, </em>came Clover's voice filtered through a fogged haze.</p><p>"I'm....a decent huntsman." It sounded like a lie on his tongue.</p><p>Tai nodded, satisfied with his hollow answer. "There you go."</p><p>"I still don't see the point of this."</p><p>Tai once more paused as two bowls were placed in front of him, once more waiting for their conversation to be lost in the idle chatter of the room.</p><p>"I'm hoping one day maybe you'll say something good about yourself and you'll actually believe it."</p><p>Qrow froze. "How did you-"</p><p>"I don't want to get into that, if you don't mind." Tai turned his attention to his food, which upon further inspection was soup. "Eat before it gets cold."</p><p>Qrow poked at it with his spoon while Tai continued to talk.</p><p>"Listen, I know it sounds stupid, but can you at least try this? If it doesn't work, I'll find something else, but please make an effort."</p><p>
  <em>You know, you can talk to me about stuff. Yang too.</em>
</p><p>Ruby had told him that what seemed like eons ago. Before he sobered up. Before he cared.</p><p>"I'll try."</p><p>Tai relaxed a little at that. "Eat. All things considered, how are you? Were....were the kids alright the last time you saw them?"</p><p>"They had each other. They're good kids, smart kids. I trust them to find someplace safe to hold up in for now."</p><p>Tai nodded, not much else to say about that. Qrow knew he was scared for his daughters. He was scared for them too, but he also knew they could handle themselves.</p><p>"They got their licenses, you know."</p><p>"I should have gone with them."</p><p>"No, you shouldn't." Qrow picked at his food again. "We both know you weren't stable after what happened at Beacon."</p><p>His shoulders slumped. "You're right. I hate that you're right. And I'd rather not open that can of worms so tell me about your friend, then. He doesn't seem like someone you'd willingly spend time with."</p><p>Qrow shrugged. There was a lot he could say about Clover.</p><p>"Cloves is....a nice person." He ate a little, hoping it would get Tai to stop staring.</p><p>"Cloves?"</p><p>"Slip of the tongue. Kinda stuck." He shrugged. "Didn't make a peep about my Semblance. He's optimistic and cocky. You'll like him - he likes to show off and he makes stupid jokes. Seriously, he laughs at the stupidest things, I swear. He's a good huntsman, no doubt about that, but he's a dork. A dweeb. I don't know how I haven't punted him off a building at this point."</p><p>"Oscar told me he was your partner."</p><p>"It's...still a weird thing to think about, I've been going solo for so long. But he's a good partner." <em>And I don't hesitate to say it anymore. </em>"I'm not sure what to say. He'd drag himself to work if he were on the verge of dying, but he'd send someone to the infirmary if they so much as sneezed. He keeps snacks in his pockets and he talks to animals like they're people. He whistles when he's focused and he's good at cards."</p><p>Tai sat and he listened. He didn't interrupt once as the two of them ate, listening as Qrow continued to talk about Clover with the softest smile on his face as the colour returned to his eyes and he looked much less shaken then he had when they'd walked in.</p><p>Qrow looked happy, happier than he'd seen him in years. Worn down, yes, and that would take time to heal, but the way Qrow didn't even seem to notice the way he'd relaxed as he'd began to talk about his partner, the way he'd comfortably opened up as if they hadn't spent this entire time talking about alcohol and needing to do better.</p><p>"We should hurry if we're going to get back on the road," Qrow said a few minutes later after he'd been going on for quite some time.</p><p>"Don't bother. We're staying another night."</p><p>"What?! Tai-"</p><p>"Qrow. Like I said, you look like shit. I doubt you got any sleep and you're incredibly hungover. No one is going to be angry if we take an extra day. I already told Clover and Oscar to do what they want. Take your time."</p><p>His face fell. "There's no point in letting me drag you all down."</p><p>Tai held out the bag of candies again. Qrow sighed as he took one.</p><p>"I haven't thrown up yet."</p><p>"I don't think that one counts."</p><p>"You said say a good thing. Not throwing up is good in my book."</p><p>"I'll let it slide but next time think of something else. Like a compliment. I know you don't do those but try."</p><p>Qrow nodded.</p><p>They finished up their meal with a bit of conversation, stuff that seemed almost trivial now - the situation back in Vale, what had happened in Atlas - and simply spent the rest of their time properly catching up.</p><p>It felt nice, like Qrow had taken a moment to stop and take a breath without having to worry about everything else.</p><p>Clover was napping when they got back, and it occurred to him that he must've stayed up to make sure Qrow didn't do anything else, that he didn't hurt himself again.</p><p>Qrow shrugged off his outer layers and laid down next to him. Tai had told him he should get some sleep.</p><p>He turned on his side to face Clover. He was snoring softly, his eyes firmly shut and his mouth partly open.</p><p>
  <em>I'll stay to make sure I fix this.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TAKE YOUR FUCKING MEDS PEOPLE</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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